Journalist Suspended For "Bias"

True Democrat intelligence has uncovered a grand plot by the NPP to ensure the clearing of the media stable of all journalists who refuse to sing the tune of sycophantic adulation of the NPP government and leadership. The plan which has already been put into motion ...

• 28.12.2008

Malian fuel tanker involved in accident

 Tema, Dec 28, GNA - Some young people resident in Tema ignored the presence of security personnel and scooped diesel that had spilled on the road at the VALCO roundabout in Tema when a Malian tanker loaded with 5,000 litters of diesel was involved in an accident on Saturday afternoon.

But the police, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police Alice Gyamfi, Tema Commander of the Tema Motor Transport and Traffic Unit, managed drive the people away

to prevent a disaster similar to what happened in the Brong-Ahafo Region where many people died when a fuel was involved in an accident and caught fire.

Eye witnesses said the tanker that was travelling from the Tema motor-way end of the road to the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) hit the side wall of the road and turned on its side while negotiating a curve. Both the driver and his mate sustained injuries and were taken to the Tema General Hospital. A tanker was brought in to siphon the remaining fuel from the accident vehicle.

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Four students of Sunyani Polytechnic physically assaulted

Four students of Sunyani Polytechnic were physically assaulted on Sunday and wounded by a group of people at Drobo in Jaman South District. Abugri Mamudu, HND Accountancy three, Lamini Ibrahim, HND Marketing three, Atia Moses, HND Marketing two and Beyou Amatus, HND Marketing three were among a group of nine members of the polytechnic's branch of Tertiary Education Institutional Network (TEIN) of the NDC invited by executives of the NDC in the district to assist in monitoring the run-off.

Briefing the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the incident on telephone Mr. Pierre Kwabena Ankomah, the defeated NDC Parliamentary candidate in the December 7 election, said he had personally led the students from Sunyani on a mini bus. On reaching the CEPS barrier at Babianeha they were subjected to a thorough search by a team of police personnel for about 30 minutes, ostensibly as a result of misinformation. Mr. Ankomah said on arrival at Drobo the students were briefed on the role they would play and were asked to go and lodge at Ansu Hotel at Japekrom, near Drobo. He said a local supporter of the NDC, Mr. Richard Sekyere, alleged that he and the students were trekking to Japekrom at about 2130 hours on Saturday when the group attacked them and asked of their mission in the town. He said Mr. Sekyere told them they were students and that they even showed their ID cards but they branded them as thieves and started beating them.

One police Constable Twumasi who went to their rescue was alleged "to have added a few slaps to their (students) woes, knocked the heads of two of them and sent them to the charge office at Drobo where he asked the police on duty to handcuff and put them behind bars". Mr. Ankomah said the NDC executives on hearing about the case reported the matter to the station officer, Chief Inspector Oppong Asamoah, who took their statements and issued them with medical forms to attend hospital. "In a gangster-style fashion, the group began parading on motorbikes till a policeman was asked to lead the injured students and some NDC executives to St. Mary's hospital at Drobo."

Two of the students, Abugri Mamudu and Lamini Ibrahim, were admitted at the hospital while the other two, Atia Moses and Beyuo Amatus, were treated and discharged. The other five students escaped unhurt from the assailants and the police are investigating the case.

Two men were arrested at Gagbire near Garu in the Upper East Region on Sunday for allegedly intimidating voters at a polling station. Amos Alale, 38, and Albert Alalzuuga, 41, both hail from the Garu area but are resident at Tamale.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Atiim Ayisala of the District Police Headquarters in Garu told the GNA that the two travelled home to Gagbire for Sunday's run-off election and while at a polling station they allegedly went round instructing people in the queue to vote for the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Party agents and supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who got wind of it reported the matter to the Garu-Tempane District Chief Executive who in turn informed the Regional Minister, Mr. Alhassan Samari.

The minister informed the police who arrested the two suspects. Mr Ayisala said the two had been released on a police inquiry bail, pending further investigations. In a related development, 27-year-old man, Alhassan Muniru, was also apprehended at a polling station in Garu on Sunday with two ballot papers in his possession. Mr Ayisala said supporters of the various parties pounced on Alhassan and beat him up. Police moved in and took him to hospital.

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• 27.12.2008

NPP LIST; of BUYING VOTES...

1. GIVING PEOPLE - JUST 1-2 WEEKS BEFORE ELECTION; 30 CEDIS

   ("GOVENMENT POVERTY REDUCTION POGRAME")
2.  
   OFFERING 5 CEDIS DAILY + NPP T-SHIRT, TO JOIN NPP RALLIES
3. OFFERING FOOD AID IN AREAS, WHERE THE NDC HAS MORE SUPPORTERS 

   ("GOVENMENT POVERTY REDUCTION PROGRAME")
4. ...PLEASE CHECK FOR MORE...!!!
5. Where is all the money comming from??? Please check the Health Insurance.. and SSNIT...!!!          

    

Source: ghanaweb-news

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Ghanaba Is Dead

The world of music lost one of its most illustrious practitioners when the Divine Drummer, Kofi Ghanaba, died at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra Monday night. He was 85.

Ghanaba was the main African influence on jazz in the USA and Europe in the 1950s and is regarded in many circles as one of the founders of the Black Pride Movement for his insistence on a positive projection of Africa at all times.

His son, Glen Ghanababa Warren, confirmed to the Daily Graphic that his father was taken ill on Monday morning and was admitted to the hospital where he died in the night.

Ghanaba created his own profoundly African music and was known for his powerful pounding on the unique set of fontomfrom drums which he switched to after abandoning the usual Western drum kit.

The usual set comprised two large fontomfrom drums, placed on their sides with foot pedals attached. He played the fontomfrom with his feet, while playing a set of smaller drums arranged around him with sticks.

“He was in a class of his own,” veteran trumpeter Mac Tontoh said yesterday after hearing of the death of the man he knew very well. “It is sad to miss someone like him who opened international doors for African musicians. He brought the world’s attention to the ability of African musicians to create world-class music.”

Ghanaba was born Kpakpo Akwei in Accra on May 4, 1923 to Richard Akwei, an educationist, and Susana Awula Abla Moore, a trader. His fascination with America made him adopt the name Guy Warren, after Warren Gamaliel Harding, the 29th President of the US.

He attended Government Boys’ School and Achimota College, both in Accra, before joining the Accra Rhythmic Orchestra as drummer around 1940.

Apart from being a musician, Ghanaba worked variously as a reporter, newspaper editor and radio disc jockey in Liberia and England.

His big break came in 1955 when he went to Chicago in the US and joined Johnny Esposito’s band as co-leader, percussionist and arranger.

He recorded his famous Africa Speaks, America Answers album in 1956 with that band. The album contained his best known composition, That Happy Feeling. His other great album, Themes For African Drums, was recorded in New York.

Ghanaba met and befriended many of the leading jazz musicians of the time, including drummer Max Roach, trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, saxophonist Lester Young and singer Billie Holiday, when he worked in the US. Many of those musicians admired Ghanaba’s tenacity to push ahead with his African approach to jazz.

Roach, who visited Ghanaba in Accra in the early 1970s, wrote, “I met Ghanaba in Chicago in 1956. He was so far ahead of what we were all doing that none of us understood what he was saying — that in order for Afro-American music to be stronger, it must cross-fertilise with its African origins.”

A very outspoken person and keen follower of politics, Ghanaba was close to Dr Kwame Nkrumah and dedicated his autobiography, I Have A Story To Tell, to him. He was also a close pal of former President Jerry Rawlings.

Ghanaba’s last public performance was at the Goethe Institut in Accra last September where he appeared on a programme called The African Presence In Jazz.

“He was a good friend to us and we will miss him dearly,” the Director of the Goethe Institut, Mrs Eleonore Sylla, said.

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Advocates for Progressive Change endorse Mills

PRESS BRIEFING

The Advocates for Progressive Change (APC) have endorsed Prof. Evans Atta Mills, the presidential candidate for the NDC in the presidential run-off election scheduled for December 28, 2008.

Mr.E.Kudjo Ave, the president of APC, stated five considerations that impacted their decision.

FIRST REASON:

Quoting the Washington Post, Mr. Ave stated that the experience of power alternating among political parties is a barrier to conflict. This ensures good governance, prudent leadership and accountability which minimize public cynicism and mistrust of political leadership. The group, Mr. Ave added, agrees with an eminent scholar on good governance that, trust between government and the people is the corner stone of good governance. Repeating the cycle of political parties every eight (8) years ensures the growth of democracy which will bring sanity into our body politic.

SECOND REASON:

Ghanaians want a new direction and change. Real change will come from another party, the NDC, more than from a continued rule of the same ruling party (NP P)..

THIRD REASON:

The third reason given by Mr. Ave was the need to avoid gridlock in parliament which will hinder the executive branch should it be the NPP pursuing its agenda. The NDC, winning majority of parliamentary seats in the December 7, 2008 elections will control the next parliament. A situation whereby we have an NPP president with an NDC parliament will result in constant battles between the NPP and the NDC. ( The NDC already has the majority in parliament.) This environment will hinder the national development which will in turn affect adversely the county¢s image in the international community as well as the relationship with our foreign investors.

The NPP government achieved what it achieved because it had the presidency and it controlled the parliament. It is now convenient for Nana Akufo Addo to argue that split government is good for democracy. It is an argument that is in the interest of the NPP to hang on to power, Mr. Ave added.

FOURTH REASON:

A more serious gridlock will be at the local government level if the NPP wins the presidency since it is the president who appoints the District Chief Executives. Currently, DCEs and MPs of the same party in the same constituency/A more serious gridlock will be at the local government level if the NPP wins the presidency since it is the president who appoints the District Chief Executives. Currently, DCEs and MPs of the same party in the same constituency/districts are

FIRFTH REASON:

Dr. Kwame Twumasi-Ankrah, an executive member of the APC contributing at the press briefing, stated that the Advocates for Progressive Change see Prof. Atta Mills as an analytical and calm person devoid of arrogance and self conceit, a person who will have the interest of all Ghanaians, a person whose presidency will more than reduce political tension in the country, a person who can and will bring real change for the betterment of all Ghanaians.

FOR THESE REASONS, THE ADVOCATES FOR PROGRESSIVE CHANGE (APC) URGE ALL GHANAIANS AND THE VOTING ELECTORATE TO VOTE PROF... JOHN EVANS ATTA MILLS FOR PRESIDENT ON DECEMBER 28, 2008

THANK YOU

ABENA BEEMAH

PUBLIC AFFAIRS-APC

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Armed robbery gangs busted in Ho Municipality

Ho, Dec 27, GNA - The Police in Ho has within the last seven days busted two robbery gangs in two separate operations. In the first swoop on December 22, a police escort on bullion van carrying money from the North-Tongu Rural Bank at Adidome to Ho, engaged three highway robbers in a shootout, killing one and wounding two others, one of whom escaped.

Mr Samuel Tetteh, Ho Municipal Police Commander, who confirmed the story to journalists in Ho, said that the vehicle stopped at a road block near the VRA Sub-Station near Ho at around 1730 hours. He said a robber, who emerged from the bush with an AK 47 riffle, ordered occupants of the vehicles to get out, aimed at the driver but missed target.

The Municipal Police Commander said the police escort returned fired, hitting the suspected robber wielding the gun and shot at two others holding machetes and clubs. Mr Tetteh said two of the wounded armed robbers, suspected to be Nigeriens, were sent to the Volta Regional Hospital, where one was pronounced dead.

In the second case, Elorm Kofi Koto, driver, and Patrick Ahovi, mechanic, both 26, based in Accra, were on Friday identified at a parade by victims of December 20 robbing spree un Ho. A third person is on the run. Mr Tetteh said at around 1700 hours on that day, the suspects entered the warehouse of Dzialet Food and Detergents distributor at the outskirts of Ho, ordered workers at gun-point to enter the building of the company.

He said the suspects forced the workers to lie with their faces on the ground and took away 10,018 Ghana Cedis from the cashier's safe and left by unregistered motorbike. Mr Tetteh said they also attacked a the Coca-Cola distributing unit at Dome, a suburb of Ho on the Ho-Aflao road, took away Ghc 4,600 Ghana cedis, locked up the workers and escaped by a motorbike. He said the robbers were arrested at Denu, while travelling on a Golf Private Car through Keta to Accra.

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• 26.12.2008

Rawlings urges Ghanaians to liberate themselves

Winneba, December 26, GNA - Former President Jerry John Rawlings on Friday appealed to Ghanaians to vote massively for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on December 28 to liberate themselves from bad governance and economic hardship.

He said when the NDC was in power Ghanaians could educate their children from junior secondary school to the tertiary level but now only a few rich people could send their children to the university. The Former President was addressing a well-attended NDC rally in Winneba on Friday.

He said now that Ghanaians had tasted both the NPP and NDC and had seen that the NDC was better than NPP, they should turn out in their numbers and vote for the NDC.

He said the NPP had failed Ghanaians and as a result they were looking for a change, so any attempt at rigging must be avoided. Former President Rawlings urged Ghanaians to be extra vigilant and courageous and to vote for Professor John Evans Atta Mills to lead the country.

Mr Mike Allan Hammah, MP-elect for Effutu, thanked the people for electing him and pledged that he would not disappoint them. Earlier, the Former President had joined NDC supporters and party activists in a keep-fit exercise.

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Akwatia Constituency Parliamentary Election Suspended

Accra, Dec. 26, GNA - The Electoral Commission (EC) has suspended the parliamentary elections in six constituencies in Akwatia, which was to take place concurrently with the Presidential Election Runoff scheduled for Sunday December 28 2008.

A statement Mr Christian Owusu-Parry, Acting Director of Public Affairs, signed on Friday said the suspension was necessitated by a court action brought against the re-run by three of the candidates, who contested the election.

The affected polling stations are Yoruba Mosque Akwatia A and B; Presby JSS; Lorry Station Akwatia A and B and the AME Zion Church Akwatia A.

The Commission explained that the court action did not affect the Presidential Election Runoff in the Akwatia Constituency and advised eligible voters in the constituency that the Presidential Election Runoff would take place at all polling stations throughout the country on Sunday, December 28, 2008 including the whole of Akwatia constituency and the six polling station affected by the court order.

Counting of votes was stopped due to confusion among the supporters of the candidates of two of the contesting parties - New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Party.

With this new development, it means that the NDC, which has 114 out of the 228 parliamentary seats so far declared by the EC, would determine who would become the Speaker and the Majority Leader of the Fifth Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana when it convenes on January 7, 2009.

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Nation Gears Up For Presidential Runoff

As Ghana gears up for the second round of its presidential election Sunday, tension is growing in the camps of the two competitors even as fatigue sets in with the electorate.

A runoff became necessary after no candidate in the first run Dec. 7 round managed to win over 50%.

Sunday's vote will pit Nana Akufo-Addo, a 64-year-old lawyer running for the ruling New Patriotic Party, or NPP, against John Atta-Mills, a law professor and also 64, of the opposition National Democratic Congress, or NDC.

In the first round, Akufo-Addo won 49.1% of the vote, ahead of Atta-Mills with 47.9%, according to the electoral commission.

But the NDC won most seats in the parliamentary contest, held the same day, securing 113 seats against the ruling party's 109. The rest of the 230 seats went to minority parties and independents.

"Now that it's really close, everybody feels they deserve to win. One can see the desperation," said Kojo Asante, legal and governance program officer with the Center for Democratic Development.

"The slant has completely changed, there are (personality) attacks, accusations and counteraccusations, rigging and intelligence reports - left right and center - all over," he said.

The NDC has accused the NPP of using the early voting exercise Tuesday - when members of the security forces and electoral commission officials who will be unable to vote Sunday were allowed to cast their ballots - to rig the election.

The party said significantly more people voted in the early voting exercise for the second round than for the first.

Tension in political circles hasn't spilled over into the electorate, with many voters more interested in Christmas festivities than in the second round, analysts said.

"We don't have the kind of high-pitched mood as in the first round, people are quite relaxed. The only ones on edge are the candidates and their activists," said Emmanuel Akwetey, executive director of the Institute for Democratic Governance, a non-government group.

"It's not only the election preoccupying the electorate, but the festive season. There is divided attention. There is fatigue," he continued.

The same analysts are saying the poll is still too close to call.

"It's still very open ended. One thing that is difficult is predicting the mind of a Ghanaian voter," Akwetey said.

If Akufo-Addo wins, it will be the first time in Ghana since 1992 a head of state has to deal with an opposition-dominated parliament.

Chris Fomunyoh of the Washington-based National Democratic Institute said given the closeness of the vote, Ghana stands to gain from a second round of voting.

"An election this close shows a country politically split almost down the middle," he said after the first round.

"A second round will produce a clear cut winner with a mandate to govern and legitimacy that will not be contested for the next four years," he said.

If the second round goes off smoothly, Ghana could provide the shining example Africa needs after the crises that followed elections in Zimbabwe and Kenya this year, analysts said.

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Let's Play It Safe, Vote Mills - Annang

Accra, Dec. 26, GNA - All Ghanaians have been advised to vote for Professor John Evans Atta Mills, Presidential Candidate of National Democratic Congress (NDC), in Sunday's Presidential Election Runoff to avoid a possible clash between Parliament and the Presidency.

The NDC has 114 parliamentary seats compared to the 107 seats of New Patriotic Party (NPP) and this situation could be a constant source of conflict between the Presidency and the Legislature, if Professor Mills did not win Sunday's polls, Mr Danny Annang, Greater Accra Regional Chairman of NDC, stated in Accra on Thursday.

He said: "The NDC has taken firm control of Parliament - the legislative arm of government- capturing 114 seats; controls seven regions - Western, Central, Greater Accra, Volta, Upper East, Upper West, and Northern Regions and a vote for Professor Mills would, therefore, consolidate Ghana's democracy."

Mr Annang, who was addressing members and supporters of NDC, said a vote for Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of New Patriotic Party (NPP) would be a recipe for constitutional crisis.

He cited the case during the Third Republic when Parliament rejected the Budget of the People's National Party (PNP) because the Party did not have the numbers in Parliament on the day the Budget was presented. Mr Annang explained that the NDC stands on the threshold of controlling the next Parliament and by the Constitutional arrangement the Majority Leader runs government business in the House. Mr Annang said the NDC as the majority party in Parliament, would also nominate the next Speaker, who is the third powerful person after the President, and the Vice-President.

He said it would be disastrous for the Leader of Government Business and Speaker of Parliament not to belong to the President's party, adding that the country should not choose such a dangerous road. He said: "What is important is for Ghanaians to think about the welfare of one another rather than issues that would create anarchy in the society and litigation among the people."

Mr Annang called on the Chairman of the National Security Council, the Electoral Commission and the Inspector General of Police, to take appropriate measures to forestall actions that might hinder the smooth running of Sunday's polls.

He described Prof. Mills as the President every Ghanaian could trust to govern with humane policies, ensure the protection of all and share the national cake across board, irrespective of ethnic or party affiliations.

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• 25.12.2008

Arrest West Akim MCE - NDC

Asamankese (E/R), Dec. 25, GNA - The Lower West Akim Constituency branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called on the Police to arrest and prosecute Mr Kwabena Sintim-Aboagye, West Akim Municipal Chief Executive, for engaging in multiple voting on the special voting day on Tuesday.

The branch said it had information to the effect that Mr. Sintim-Aboagye voted at Asamankese in the Lower West Akim Constituency during the special voting day and then travelled to Adeiso in the Upper West Akim Constituency where he voted again.

The branch made its position known at a press conference organized on Wednesday at Asamankese, which was addressed by Mr Seth Okyere, the Parliamentary candidate of the party for the Lower West Akim Constituency for the 2008 elections, in the company of executives of the party for both Upper and Lower West Akim constituencies. He said he, in the company of the Lower West Akim Constituency Chairman of the Party, Mr Abi-Zayid Tei Addo, went to see Mr Salas Mensah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Upper West Akim who was attending the West Akim Municipal Assembly meeting at Asamankese. Mr Okyere said in their presence Mr Mensah called one of the party agents at Adeiso observing the special voting exercise to find out how the voting was going.

He said he informed Mr Mensah that the MCE had been there to cast his vote.

Mr Okyere said Mr Mensah then switched his mobile phone on loud speaker for them to also hear and enquired again from the agent and he repeated that the MCE visited the Adeiso special polling station and voted.

Mr Okyere said Mr Mensah then called the Presiding officer of the polling station at Adeiso, one Mr Abeka and asked him if the MCE had been there and he replied in the affirmative and he further enquired from him what he came there to do and he replied that he came to observe the polls and cast his vote.

He said they then called their agent at Asamankese special polling station who also confirmed to them that Mr Sintim Aboagye had voted at Asamankese also and so the party later collected the voter's registration list of the Asamankese Centre and found the name of Mr Sintim- Aboagye on that list and having been ticked as voted. Mr Okyere said an attempt by the party agents to get the voter's list for the Adeiso Centre from the Electoral Commission (EC) was resisted by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) agents and officials at the station.

He said the NDC had reasons to believe that there had been multiple voting during the special voting exercise by agents of the NPP and, therefore, called on the EC to nullify the results of the special voting exercise in both the Upper West Akim and the Lower West Akim Constituencies.

The NDC, therefore, demanded that the EC provide them with the list of all the people who took part in the special voting exercise in the Upper and Lower West Akim Constituencies to enable the party to check those names against the voters' registers that would be used in the two constituencies on December 28.

The party said it noticed some suspicious characters loitering around the polling stations at Asamankese during the special voting exercise and had received information that they were part of a rigging plan during the December 28 polls.

Meanwhile the Asamankese Police has confirmed that the NDC has reported the multiple voting of the MCE to them and had initiated an investigation into the issue.

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NDC has 114 seats in Parliament - Mills

Prestea (W/R), Dec. 25, GNA - The National Democratic Congress (NDC) already has 114 seats in Parliament out of 228 certified results issued by the Electoral Commission (EC) with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) losing its parliamentary majority with 107 seats.

The NDC increased its parliamentary seats by 20 from 94 to 114 seats while NPP lost 21 seats, moving down to 107 seats from 128 seats, showing that Ghanaians were fed up with NPP and wanted a change, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, Presidential Candidate of NDC, told a rally at Tarkwa on Wednesday.

He said the 'elephant' was already out of government and was heading towards the bush and all that Ghanaians needed to do was to turn out in their numbers on Sunday to vote for him to form a new Government that would offer opportunities to all Ghanaians and not only to a section of the population.

Prof Mills urged the government to investigate the alleged "hit list" saga and come out with the truth, saying that human life was too precious to be sacrificed on the altar of politics.

He promised to resolve the problem of small-scale miners, popularly called Galamsey Operators, and said he would expand the School Feeding Programme to cover all schoolchildren in the country, adding that he would make the National Health Insurance Scheme more affordable.

Prof. Mills, who is on a campaign tour of the Western Region, made whistle-stops at Wassa Dawurapong, Himan and Bawdie before proceeding to Asankragua.

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All Ghana's borders to be closed...

Ghana's borders with the Republic of Togo, Cote d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso will be closed from 0600 hours on Friday, December 26 to 0600 hours Monday December 29, 2008, a National Security statement announced on Thursday.

The statement signed by Dr Sam Amoo, National Security Coordinator, therefore, advised the public to take note of the closure.

Source:
GNA

Ho, Dec. 25, GNA - The Right Reverend Francis Anani Lodonu, Bishop of the Ho Diocese of the Catholic Church, on Wednesday said the selective closure of borders in Ghana for supposed security reasons could weaken national unity.

He said closing Ghana's eastern borders alone during elections makes the people of the Volta Region for example feel excluded from the rest of Ghana.

Bishop Lodonu, who was delivering a sermon at a mass to mark Christmas at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Ho, suggested that "if borders have to be sealed then it should be all".

The Government closed the Ghana-Togo border just before the December 7 general election, attracting criticism from chiefs in the Volta Region, who said that decision was discriminatory.

"I fully concur with them. If you close only borders leading to Togo, which borders mainly the Volta Region, you make the people there feel like strangers," Bishop Lodonu stated. He advised the winning side in the December 28 presidential runoff not to overly celebrate to the displeasure of the defeated side. Bishop Lodonu also advised the side that would be beaten to accept defeat, saying just as Jesus Christ accepted defeat, was crucified but rose the third day to claim victory, that party would also win one day. 25 Dec 08

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Stop the violence - NDC tells Akufo-Addo

Koforidua, Dec. 25, GNA - The Eastern Regional Branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has urged Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), to stop his supporters and people around him from the use of violence, intimidation and harassment of political opponents.

Speaking at a press conference in Koforidua, the Regional Chairman of the NDC, Mr Julius Debrah said currently in the Abuakwa South Constituency and in Kyebi in particular, supporters of the NDC were constantly being harassed and provoked for no apparent reasons. He said in some cases traditional authorities had begun threatening parents and family heads to pressurize their family members who were NDC activists to stop their house-to-house campaigns in the constituency. Mr Debrah called on the people of the Eastern Region to reject the shameful attempts being made by the NPP and Nana Akufo-Addo to buy their votes and to vote massively against the party and its presidential candidate.

Mr Tawiah Boateng, Regional Organizer of the party, said due to harassment, it was becoming difficult for members of the NDC in the Abuakwa South constituency and the Kyebi area in particular to hold normal meetings since they were being followed and even people, who gave their premises to be used for meetings were being threatened.

He said NDC miniature flags displayed and posters of the party at Kyebi were often destroyed or removed apparently because they think Nana Akufo-Addo hails from the area so no political party should campaign there.

Mr Boateng said the threats and harassment of NDC activists had been extended to other Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Areas and all of a sudden party agents of the party were refusing to protect the interest of the party on the polling day because of threats made against them. He, therefore, appealed to the Regional Security Election Taskforce to take the necessary measures to protect NDC functionaries at Kyebi and to ensure that all political parties were given a level playing field to market their candidate to enable Ghanaians to make their decision from a well-informed position on December 28.

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Floodgates Opened to Foreign Textiles

…TGLEU says decision is politically motivated

The speed with which the government has temporarily lifted the ban on imported textile has drawn the expected reaction from the category of Ghanaian workers who would be hardest hit.

The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Textile, Garments and Leather Employees Union (TGLEU) at an emergency meeting on December 18 said it viewed the development as unfortunate since the decision was taken in total disregard to the survival of the local textile industry.

The NEC recalled the numerous meetings of stakeholders (Government, Employers and Labour) as far back as 2003 to identify the problems and challenges confronting the industry, and views the turn of events as unfortunate. At one of such meetings it came to light that in 2002 alone the country lost ¢300 billion old Ghana cedis, with the accompanying job losses.

The meeting noted that given the expected loss of jobs and revenue to the government as exemplified in the 2002 Budget, the local textile manufacturers would be compelled to down size staff numbers to protect their investments. Even before the lifting of the ban, smugglers had outwitted the security agencies at the entry points and got their cheap imports into the country. The sight of Nigeriens and other non-Ghanaians selling foreign textiles on the streets of Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi etc is common. In their place are the numerous Ghanaian textiles workers who have lost their jobs due to the closure of textile factories or the reduction in production capacity by the few factories struggling to stay in business.

A report in 2003 by the Revenue Agencies Governing Board titled “Practical Measures to Combat the Menace of Under Invoicing and Smuggling into Ghana” pointed out that the “local production of textile which peaked at 130 million metres per annum in the 1970s has dropped to under 39 million metres per annum currently; and the labour force in the industry consequently reduced from 25, 000 in the 1970s to under 3,000 as of now.”

The report identified under invoicing in import duties, laxity in the performance of valuation and monitoring functions of the destination inspection agencies etc as some of the acts hampering the growth of the local textile industries. The report further pointed out that as a result of under invoicing there are rampant contraband goods dumped on the market. “This kills competition and also does not give any protection to the infant manufacturing sector because the smuggled goods sell cheaper than the locally produced goods.”

TGLEU wonders if anything has changed regarding local production to warrant the lifting of the ban on cheap foreign imports. ‘Since the reasons for Government’s action was not stated, the NEC considers the timing of the lifting of the ban as politically motivated aimed at influencing the votes of the electorate.”

As part of measures to curb smuggling of textiles into the country, the report recommended that personnel of CEPS should be strengthened, revamped and well motivated to improve productivity. It also recommended that the CEPS should embark on an education programme to sensitise the public on the menace of under invoicing.

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Akwatia electorate assured of security during run-off

Koforidua, Dec. 25, GNA - The Eastern Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) George Anko-Bil, said elaborate security measures have been initiated to prevent recurrence of confusion that erupted in the Akwatia constituency during the December 7 elections.

He assured the electorate that the security agencies would be on the alert to maintain law and order to ensure a peaceful presidential run-off on December 28.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Koforidua on Wednesday, DCOP Anko-Bil asked residents of the constituency not to be scared by any heavy police presence in the area during the polls once they go about their activities lawfully.

There was confusion in the Akwatia constituency, allegedly perpetrated by supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) during the December 7 elections. The Electoral Commission (EC) decided to re-organize the polls in six polling stations where elections were disrupted but a court injunction has been placed on any move by the EC.

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NDC reacts to reports on Special Voting

Accra, Dec. 25, GNA - The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has said it reserves the right to reject the results of the December 23 special voting in areas in which there were reports of widespread irregularities.

This was contained in a statement signed by NDC Communication Director, Hanna Tetteh in Accra on the position of the NDC on the special election and preparations towards the December 28 Presidential Election Runoff.

The statement said the reports the NDC Leadership had received from the party's polling agents nationwide suggest that, "significant irregularities were noted in Constituencies in the Ashanti and Eastern Regions, and also in the Brong Ahafo Region.

The worst cases were, however, in the Ashanti Region in the Bantama, Suame, Tafo, Kwadaso and Asokwa Constituencies. We are currently compiling the Reports from the various polling centres and after evaluating the extent of the irregularities that have taken place, the Party reserves the right to reject the results of the election in these centres.

"Yesterday the Leadership of the party wrote to the Electoral Commission expressing its concerns on the exercise and followed up today by sending a delegation to the Electoral Commission to discuss these matters. From the available facts, it is quite clear that the management of the electoral process in the special voting exercise conducted yesterday fell far short of the standards required to declare that the process had been reasonably free and fair. "We are of the opinion that, if this is a dressed rehearsal for the December 28th runoff elections then things are in bad shape. We want to take this opportunity to inform the public that the NDC as a party will do everything lawfully permitted, to ensure the integrity of the elections."

The statement said the NDC "is, therefore, taking all the necessary steps to protect its polling agents from harm in the run-off elections on Sunday and to protect the integrity of the electoral process. We intend to ensure that every vote legitimately cast is made to count and that rigging, fraud, violence and intimidation are prevented. We are determined to play our part in ensuring that the democratic process is respected and entrenched in our political culture.

"The NDC has noted from the reports received that during the special voting exercise some police appeared unwilling to do the right thing and for that reason doubts are cast as to their professional training.

"We have been informed that as NPP activists meted out acts of violence and intimidation on NDC polling agents some of them acted as mere bystanders watching as events unfolded.

"The Party wishes to place on record its grave misgivings regarding the conduct of the Police Officers on duty in the above-mentioned constituencies and other places where such actions took place. "We also wish to point out to the Leadership of the Police Service that they have a responsibility to ensure national security and the integrity of this country and not regime security, as such their responsibility in this exercise is to protect the integrity of the electoral process.

"To our Brothers and Sisters in the security services including the Police service, we know that the majority of you are dedicated professionals and would always wish to act honourably. It is unfortunate that the misdeeds of a few should cast a slur on the integrity of the many men and women in uniform who do their best to protect the integrity of our nation in various ways.

"We ask that you continue to maintain your professionalism even in the face of intimidation and victimization and remember that there are only a few days more before change comes to Ghana. "To the numerous supporters and sympathizers of the National Democratic Congress all over the country and especially in the Ashanti, Eastern and Brong-Ahafo Regions, we wish to remind you that we are very near the finishing line and this is not the time to be timid or faint-hearted.

"We also wish to assure you that the NDC party will stand behind its Members and do everything necessary to ensure that the right things are done to protect our democracy."

The NDC called on all Ghanaians to come out and vote massively for change on December 28 so that, "we can begin the task of building a Better Ghana."

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• 24.12.2008

Atta Mills calls for investigations into early voting

The flag-bearer of the NDC, Prof. John Atta Mills is calling for investigations into allegations of irregularities in Tuesday’s early voting.

The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NDC, Mr. Daniel Ohene Agyekum, has catalogued a number of things he believes constituted massive irregularities.
He claimed minors and other unqualified persons were allowed especially in the Ashanti Region.
Those irregularities, according to him, form part of a calculated attempt by the NPP to rig the elections.
Prof. Mills has asked the EC to launch an investigation into the allegations.

“Let us not just attempt to explain these things away,” he stressed.

The Director of elections at the Electoral Commission, Mr. Albert Kofi Arhin, says voting went generally well.
He explained the increase in numbers resulting in the complaints by the NDC was as a result the inclusion some other people in the list.
According to him, polling agents, EC’s staff and drivers of commandeer vehicles who could not vote in the last special voting were allowed this time around to vote.

He however believes if the commission has any reason to believe that there is a justification for an investigation, it would do so.

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Vote Buying With Fake Cedi Notes

The Ashanti Regional Police Command says it has started investigating reports that a political party has been distributing fake currencies in exchange for votes in the region.
Regional Public Relations Officer Mohammed Tanko said the police has so far not been able to apprehend the culprits because the complainants are not cooperating.
He expressed optimism that those behind the deal would soon be brought to book.
Several bills of the new currency are said to have been distributed by a group claiming to be belonging to a particular political party.
The police told the press the name of the political party would not be mentioned because it is inappropriate to associate a party with such an allegation when there is not evidence to prove that.
“We don’t want to mention the name of any political party and associate it with that particular offense when we have not able to establish that the allegation is true,” Mr Tanko said.
The recipients are said to have been compelled to swear that they would vote the anonymous party.
They discovered that the bills were fake when they attempted to make purchases with them the following day.
Mr Tanko appealed to the electorate to immediately report any person seen distributing fake notes for votes.

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AB-Channel Group Poll: Mill To Win

Polls on Ghanaian Dec. 28 run-off election

Following a peaceful conduct of the general elections in Ghana, we researchers of AB-CHANNEL GROUP have decided to draw a poll on how Ghanaians will vote in the runoff. Upon creating our base sample of 1500 registered voters from all the 10 regions of Ghana, we concluded that the December 28 runoff would be determined by the following.

1. The Economy.

2. Unemployment.

3.Corruption

4. Perception that Ghana is a drug destination

5.Education.

6.Rule of Law and human Rights.

7. Petrol price

The issues above, according to the1500 Ghanaians interviewed on land lines, mean a lot to them and have occupied their attention over the past 9 years. They have managed to prioritize them into 4 major cartigories.

1. Price of petrol.

When asked what would most influece their decision in the Dec. 28 runoff, 53% of interviewees believe that if there can be a further reduction in the price of petrol it would be evident in their decision to vote for the next president.

2. The economy

To the question on the state of the Ghanaian economy, 23% of the group supported the views expressed by the earlier one, and further stated that for as long as the price of goods and services remain where they are, culminating in more suffering, they would be swayed by a candidate that can assure them an affordable market. They cited the price of cement, fuel, cost of transportation, food and rent, among others unaffordable in their current circumstance. This group is mainly made up of small business operators, traders, drivers, farmers, fishermen, retirees and students.

3. Rule of Law and Human rights.

A minority of 14% of the group sample said they will vote according to records of rule of law and human rights left behind by governments of either of both candidates.

4. Ghana as a destination for drugs.

The number sadly dropped to 10% when the issue of drugs came up. The interviewees were very much disturbed by the negative image of the country as a hub for nacotic drugs. The group said that it will be their focus in the presidential elections.

DETAILS

PETROL

Though the NPP goverment has hurriedly rushed to slash the price of petrol by 17.7%, the 53% of the group feels cheated by government for far too long. They say they do not believe government would maintain the price when they are voted back into office. They argue that if government, indeed, has their interest at heart the drop of local cost of petrol to the magnitude announced on Friday would have been done since October when OPEC countries consistently began to reduce their world market prices. The group contended that if the NDC could promise and deliver on another drastic reduction in oil price they would consider it a better choice.

Their reason is that if they vote for the NDC and it delivers on its promise to reduce oil price further, they would have succeeded in using their single votes to secure two bargains for the reduction in petrol prices. Critical among this group of people are drivers or transport owners, fishermen, farmers and youngmen who can not afford to fill their tanks. However, this group was not happy about governments rush to reduce the price of petrol. They said that NPP would have made it anyway without necessarily reducing the price of the life blood of the country.

They compared government's action to a kid in a toy shop. Some of them could not recount how much loses they have made during those difficult times, though, according to them, all is not over yet. Asked whether any of them recieved money or any inducement to enable them vote for a particular party, 45% of the group answered in the afirmative, but added that it did not influence their decision.

DEduction> Though high fuel cost remains the most dominant factor in voters minds, reduction in its price would not sway voters to the NPP.

The economy

In our attempt to find out how the current state of the Ghanaian economy would drive their decision to participate in the December 28 run-off., 23% of our sample size showed up. This percentage is also swallowed by the 53% of our sample size who opted for petrol as their reason for voting. They claim fuel is the bedrock of all economic activities in the country and therefore if the price of the product is reduced, it would be a fresh breath in to the economy. They say the high cost of petrol has given them too many bullets to bite.

Students among this group recounted how many times they had to make painful choices to walk to their destinations for lack of transport fee, not even enough to go by the so-called Kuffuor bus. One said he had to walk a distance of 8 kilometers to a job interview just to be told that he was not welcomed because his body ordor had overtaken the airconditioned office. This group cited the collapse of many local and foriegn industries due to high fuel prices. To them the NPP would not be forgiven for leaving them impoverished while there were avenues like the recent reduction in energy cost. They concluded that though it would take some sometime for this sharp drop in oil price to jumpstart the economy they would reflect on the damage so far done to them and their families and vote accordingly.

DEDUCTION>

This group of voters want to count their loses as a result of high fuel prices before they enter the voting booth.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND RULE OF LAW

The issue of rule of law and human rights may not have registered on the minds of a many voters during the recent election, but 13% of our sample group claim it would be important to them as they decide on thier choice of candidate during Decenber 28 run-off. This group is not happy about the level at which discrimination dominates the Ghanaian judicial system. It finds it difficult to divorce the executive arm of government from the judiciary. It cited examples of some six foreigners who were arrested and jailed for their involvement in nacotics, but were intervened by various governments of their countries, among others.

The recent case of the 2 young British girls who were involved in nacotics but were allowed to go home to serve thier sentences was also fresh on their minds. This group explained that though they have issues with the NDC regarding Human rights and rule of law, it appears time has swept their records under the carpet. They believe they would vote according to what registers freshly on their minds when considering who can best handle human rights issues.

DEDUCTIONS> Voters in this cartigory may vote on the issue of rule of and human rights depending on how much they can recollect of the past and present.

Ghana as a preferred distination for drugs.

Our research on this group reveals that 10% of Ghanaians are deeply concerned about Ghana being used as a preferred destination for drugs. This group, in our sample, is of the opinion that the prevalence of drugs in Ghana especially under the full glare of the NPP government would shape their decision on how to vote come December 28. This group interestingly hail from the larger cities of the country, a suggestion that it does not in anyway concern the rural voter. They claim the image it portays of the Ghanaian abroad is what they are concerned about.

When it came to this, examples were supperflous. One that would not escape mention was an example of a traditional ruler who was allegedly dehumanized at an international airport on suspicion of carrying drugs. This group says the practice has become too rampant over the past 8 years and that would direct them to whom they consider better qualified to nip it in the bud.

DEDUCTION> It could be anyones guess.

On curruption almost every one in the group agreed it is a factor, but advocated that until the laws are made to bite, it will remain the greatest cancer that could destroy the economy to a large extent. They all agreed that each one of them has been a witness or a victim to curruption either directly or indirectly.

The security agencies, especially the police and custom officials did not escape examples mentioned by some members of the group. AT this point they conceeded that something can be done about it and would therefore vote for a candidate who can do something effectively about it.

ON who they think would win the December run-off based on the issues raised with the sample group of 1500 from all ten regions of Ghana, 51.1 per cent of them decided to vote for the NDC and the rest of the 48.9 per cent for the NPP.

This poll was conducted four days after results of the December 7 elections were officially declared by the Electoral Commission.

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Winner must bridge north and south gap

Bolgatanga, Dec. 24, GNA - Northern Patriot in Research and Advocacay (NORPRA), a Civic Organization working to promote social justice and equity, has stressed the need for the winner in the presidential run-of election to honour the pledge to bridge the gap between the northern and southern parts of the country.

Mr Bismark Ayorogo Adongo, President of NORPRA, made the call on Tuesday at a public forum organized in Bolgatanga on the need for fairness and equity in development across the country. He noted that the three northern regions had been deprived for far too long and a special attention should be given to the area to narrow the development gap.

"Ghana cannot boast of development when the three northern regions, which form part of the country, are being marginalized and deprived," he stressed.

Mr Adongo said a lot of empirical evidence from both the state and non-state institutions indicated that the northern regions were poorest of the poor, citing the Ghana Living Standard Survey (GLSS), the Ghana Poverty Strategy I and II and Send Foundation Report on HIPC Funds among others.

Mr Adongo said the Millennium Challenge Account, which was meant to target the poorest regions to improve their livelihoods, excluded the entire Upper East and Upper West Regions and a good number of districts in the Northern Region.

He explained that the President's Special Initiative (PSI) captured in the 2002 Budget Statement and the Economic Policy of the government as a pro-poor policy excluded the three Northern Regions, which were actually the poorest.

Mr Adongo said in 2004, the government spent one trillion old cedis for mass spraying of cocoa and did not devote similar amounts to promote shea-butter extraction in the north which was of equally important value on the international market.

He expressed dissatisfaction about the formula used by the National Secretariat of Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) in its selection process, and said properly endowed schools in the southern sectors were rather benefiting whereas the north which was poorer had fewer schools benefiting.

Mr Adongo asked the party that would win the 28 December run-off election not to pay lip services to the development of the north. Mr Adongo said as a Civic Organization, NORPRA would take any of the two parties that won the election on, if it failed to deliver its promises of bridging the gap between the north and the south.

Mr Seth Azusiyine, Secretary to NORPRA said one of the major means of addressing poverty and bridging the gap between the two areas was through education.

He asked that the formula used by the National Secretariat of GSFP for the selection of beneficiary schools be reviewed to give more room for schools in the northern regions.

Mr Azusiyine explained that the GSF programme, the initiative of the United Nations and NEPAD was aimed at helping Ghana to attain the Millennium Development Goals, especially in the area of hunger and poverty, universal primary education and gender equality. He asked the GSFP Secretariat to reverse the trend by including more schools in the northern regions on its programme.

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Trend to close borders during elections is "in national interest" - Dzamesi

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 Media Statement By The National Reform Party

...the National Reform Party has decided to call for a rejection of the New Patriotic Party in the 28 December polls

ON THE 28 DECEMBER ELECTION

Ladies and Gentlemen of the media: We thank you for responding to our invitation. We hope not to detain you long in this busy period. We hope also that our presentation will assist in your work of clarifying for the public the important choice we must make on 28 December.

Ladies and gentlemen: in our view the most important issues at stake in the 2008 elections are first national cohesion and second the protection of constitutional space, however limited, for competing interests and viewpoints to participate in setting a national agenda and securing our development.

Our constitution, the result of more than a generation of popular struggles for democracy and development following the overthrow of the CPP, is not perfect. Constitutionalism provides a platform and protection for ordinary people in their fight to eliminate exploitation, poverty and repression from our society. It places limitations on the socially powerful and prevents them from utterly crushing the marginalised and those who in their interest dissent from, protest against or oppose the status quo. It provides us with space to struggle to change society. Elections are an example of this. Every four years the constitution levels the playing field for all citizens, property-owning or not, to decide who will govern Ghana. During elections the weak and the poor can translate their numbers into real, immediate if limited political and thus social power. These are development foundations that democratic forces must cherish and build on. In our ten years as a party Reform! has always fought to defend the space for citizens’ activism and to encourage its use for campaigns for sustainable development. From the “Ya Bre!” marches in 1999 through “Ye Wu!” in 2008 Reform! has encouraged Ghanaians to speak out against the usurpation of their rights by officials seeking to escape and override their constitutional subordination to the public.

It is for this reason that eight years ago we supported John Agyekum Kufour in the run-off election that brought the NPP to power despite our fundamental disagreement with NPP’s policy outlook. We hoped that the defeat of the NDC would prevent or retard the consolidation of the culture of intolerance and the narrowing of democratic and political space that characterised the last years of the Rawlings administration. We hoped that the NPP, despite its own narrow social vision would at least keep their promise to promote space for free expression and free association. The Kufour administration could at the very least build a healthy political climate within which more popular forces could develop and consolidate.

Ladies and gentlemen: Unfortunately, this was not to be. Rather the NPP’s commitment to foreign domination of our society and to personal wealth accumulation for its elite took precedence over its avowed commitment to constitutionalism. Necessarily it became intolerant, divisive and repressive to stay in power. Beyond blatant thievery and mismanagement of national development, the main theme of the administration of the NPP has been the grinding erosion of our constitutional rights as citizens to free association, assembly and expression; the corruption of sections of the media and its reduction to the role of Government praise-singers, the steady assault on the independence of public institutions like the security services and the judiciary mandated by the constitution to protect and advance our rights.

Worse still, Ladies and Gentlemen: Ghana, once the flag bearer of pan-African unity, now suffers internal ethnic disunity. The NPP has promoted ethnic chauvinism in the hope that ordinary Ghanaians will be too busy fighting each other over false identities to focus on the real damage being done to us by our elected leaders. The violent crises that have disrupted life in communities all over the country are the direct result of NPP’s reckless handling of the ethnic question. As we have all seen this violent ethnic chauvinism is already consuming the NPP itself. This, in Nkrumah’s Ghana, is unconscionable and frankly unforgiveable.

On several occasions between 2001 and 2004, we warned that the NPP had set out on a destructive path. From 2004 onward, mainly within the framework of the CJA we have worked consistently with other progressive political forces to expose and contain the NPP’s growing authoritarianism. We find it incredible that in the midst of its abject failure in government, the NPP has campaigned for re-election under a banner of continuity – at least up until the December 7 poll after which it offered insincere apologies and commenced all sorts of insulting gimmicks to curry favour with the public it has so long abused.

Ladies and Gentlemen: after careful and considered thought the National Reform Party has decided to call for a rejection of the New Patriotic Party in the 28 December polls. We believe this is necessary to protect national cohesion and ensure space for open democratic debate and the contest of different views of development. In turn we will support and endorse the candidacy of Professor John Evans Atta Mills, the flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress at the election of 28th December, 2008.

On 28th December, 2008, we call on Ghanaians to assert once again our ultimate authority over the political process. On that day, carpenters and lawyers, “domestic helps” and business magnates, the so-called royal and the commoner, the ruler and the ruled possessing each a single vote shall be equal in strength, equal in influencing the outcome after a long hard fought campaign, equal with one vote apiece. This is the energizing imperative of democracy. This equality is its creative force. Let us preserve it in peace and harmony. Let us be vigilant and check those who would seek to use the power we have loaned to them to constrict our choices. Above all, let us put our best foot forward by coming our massively to VOTE FOR CHANGE.

We have not arrived at these decisions lightly. We recognise that a vote for Professor Mills and the National Democratic Congress will not fulfil all the aspirations that we cherish as a Party or as a people. Our confidence in the personal integrity, diligence and grit of Professor Mills notwithstanding, we believe that it is only the activism of organised Ghanaians between, and not just during, election campaigns and our willingness to defend our rights and interests that can guarantee good government. A vote for Professor Mills however is crucial to ensure political space for this activism.

Ladies and Gentlemen, in 2009 and beyond, we look forward keenly to working with other progressive political organisations to continually challenge the Mills administration to higher standards of democratic consultation and stewardship - consistent with the dream of our founding father. We also remain committed to building with others a credible progressive alternative.

GHANA FIRST!! signed Augustus Obuadum Tanoh (Goosie) For National Working Committee

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CPP members in Eastern Region declare support for Prof. Mills

Koforidua, Dec. 24, GNA - Some members of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), in the Eastern Region, have pledged their support for Professor John Evans Atta Mills, Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress, (NDC) in the presidential run-off on December 28. The members argued that, almost all the opposition political parties opted for a change in governance and therefore it is important for all members of the opposition parties, their supporters and sympathizers to vote massively for Prof Atta Mills to effect the change, which they were yearning for.

This was contained in a press release issued by the group and signed by Nana Owusu Sekyere, immediate past Eastern Regional Chairman of the CPP, a copy of, which was made available to the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday.

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Farmers/fishermen advised to vote for Mills

Offinso (Ash.) Dec. 24, GNA - Mr Sampson Kofi Kwarteng, a prominent farmer in Offinso in the Ashanti Region, has called on cocoa farmers, fishermen and other crop farmers to rally behind Professor John Evans Atta Mills to win the December 28, 2008 presidential run-off. He said it is only the National Democratic Congress (NDC) led by Professor Atta Mills that could adequately address the concerns of farmers and fishermen as well as the numerous problems that confront the agricultural sector.

Mr Amaning said his conviction was based on a critical analysis of the NDC and the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) manifestoes. He was contributing to a farmers mini-rally organised by the Offinso South Constituency of the NDC at Mansra, a farming community in Offinso on Monday.

The rapid growth of the nation's population, he said, demanded a government that could invest and revitalize the agricultural sector to produce enough food for both home consumption and export. "Ghana is an agricultural country and that any government which refuses to invest in the sector or give it the due recognition it deserves, should be ignored and rejected," he said.

Mr Amaning said the discovery and possible exploration of oil in the country was another serious challenge to any government not only to boost food production, but also intensified and strengthened the agricultural sector to give true meaning to the country's industrialization.

"The future government should initiate an aggressive agricultural programme capable of meeting the demand and requirement of numerous investors, workers, businessmen and other visitors who may migrate into the country to transact businesses," he said. Mr Amaning noted that, it was only Professor John Atta Mills, who had credible manifesto for the agricultural sector.

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• 23.12.2008 

NDC draws attention to irregularities at Special Voting

Accra, Dec 23, GNA - The National Democratic Congress (NDC), one of the two parties contesting Sunday December 28 Presidential Election Runoff, on Tuesday drew attention to what it described as irregularities at the Special Voting the Electoral Commission organised.

The party said it was not comfortable with defective ballot papers in the Northern Region and Madina in Accra, and the exponential increase in the number of special voters, while some of the voters waiting to cast their ballots "do not meet the criteria for the special voting."

Mr Alex Segbefia, Campaign Coordinator of the NDC, told a news conference in Accra that the party was bringing the matter to the attention of the Electoral Commission (EC) and the public to address the issues in order to maintain peace and eliminate the causes of electoral conflict.

"Increasing the figures for special voting at the last minute and doing things to create unnecessary tension will not help us to have free, fair and credible election.

"We would wish that the Electoral Commission, after the assurances given us yesterday at the peace Council meeting would do everything possible to ensure that we have a credible election so that after the election is over we will be able to live peacefully, co-exist with one another," Mr Segbefia said.

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Mills holds key to Ghana's success - Mahama

Tamale, Dec. 23, GNA - Professor John Evans Atta Mills, Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), holds the key to unlock Ghana's success and opportunities for both the young and the old.

This was the message of Mr John Dramani Mahama, NDC Vice-Presidential Candidate, as went through Ashanti, Brong Ahafo and Northern Regions to canvass votes for his Party in the 28 December Presidential Election Runoff.

He said: "Professor Mills is an epitome of truth; sincerity; knowledge and a team player and a unifier who will make every Ghanaian proud."

Mr Mahama urged Ghanaians to vote for Professor Mills since he was a gem Ghanaians could not afford to miss as a president. Mr Mahama was mobbed by traders in the Kumasi Central Market. He made whistle-stops at Sunyani, Techiman, Yamfo and Kwame Danso all in the Brong Ahafo Region, before crossing the Volta Lake at Yeji in a ferry to Tamale.

He used the occasion to educate the electorate on the correct procedures of voting to avoid spoiling their ballots. He asked them to clean their hands neatly with the rag provided on the table before folding their papers.

Mr Mahama urged the foot soldiers of the NDC and Constituency Executives to educate the electorate on how to vote correctly. He expressed regret that the Northern Region alone had about 25 per cent of the rejected ballot papers during the December 7 2008 polls. He urged the electorate to come out in their numbers to vote for Professor Mills and that no amount of intimidation should scare them from exercising their franchise.

Mr Mahama appealed to the security agencies, election officers and the party agents to operate within the electoral laws to ensure victory not for any particular party but for Ghana.

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Police denies disruption of polls at Offinso

Offinso, (Ash), Dec. 23, GNA - The Offinso Police Command, on Tuesday denied media reports that violent clashes between supporters of the two major political parties brought voting to a temporal halt at the Old District Assembly polling station in the Offinso South constituency.

According to the Command, an alleged destruction of election materials at the polling station during the special voting on Tuesday was also not true.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, Chief Superintendent Mathew Appiagyei, Offinso Divisional Commander said the alleged incident took place between supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) outside the polling station. It did not in any way disrupt the voting process, he stressed.

Mr Appiagyei, who did not immediately give details of the alleged disturbances, said investigations into the matter were ongoing. He said a misunderstanding also at Akomadan in the Offinso North constituency was resolved peacefully and explained that the issue bothered on a challenge from the NPP polling agents that the NDC had not presented its lists of polling agents for the December 28 presidential run-off.

To this end, the NPP agents attempted to prevent the NDC agents to be part of the special voting exercise and the police had to intervene to settle the dispute.

Mr Appiagyei said the special voting exercise had so far been peaceful in the two constituencies.

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Central Region PNC to support Mills

Cape Coast, Dec. 23, GNA - The Central Region Branch of the People's National Convention (PNC) has resolved to support Former Vice President John Evans Atta Mills, Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), in the Sunday Presidential Election Runoff. A statement Mr Kobbs Tongo, Central Regional Secretary of PNC, signed and copied to GNA, said since the Party campaigned on the platform of change it was reasonable and consistent to continue on the same lines.

The statement expressed the hope that Former Vice President Mills would bring about real change that would open up opportunities for all Ghanaians and not just a small section of the population. It said a wind of change was blowing across the globe and Ghana could not be left out.

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Be vigilant to let truth prevail - Rawlings urges Ghanaians

Kumasi, Dec. 23, GNA - Former President Jerry John Rawlings, has asked Ghanaians to be extra vigilant and allow truth to prevail on December 28 presidential run-off elections.

He said a time had come for Ghanaians to give truth a chance and allow justice to thrive in order to have a better future for all. Addressing a press conference in Kumasi on Monday to mark the beginning of a campaign tour of the Ashanti region, former President Rawlings said Ghana had reached a very crucial point in its history and there was the need for the people to ensure that truth prevailed. He said there was so much decay in the system and there was the need for a change.

Former President Rawlings urged the media to let people know the truth in their reportage always.

Vice admiral Owusu Ansah, former Navy Commander, attributed the influx of illicit drugs into the country and the depletion of the country's fish stock to the neglect of the Navy, adding that the situation posed a great danger to the nation. Brigadier-General Nunoo Mensah, former Chief of Defence Staff, said he broke away from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as a result of greed by some party functionaries in the NPP.

He said it was time people stood up to resist acts that sought to ruin the future of the nation. Mr Daniel Ohene Agyekum, Ashanti regional Chairman of the NDC, said the time to set a new trend in Ghana was now and called on Ghanaians to support the change that was coming to

them.

Source:
GNA

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"Wahala" Over Ashanti Region Special Voting

...Kwadaso polling station voter increase from 540 to over 1,500
... Voting was Peaceful

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has rejected the results of the special voting exercise in the Ashanti Region even before the votes are counted.

The party says it will not allow the votes in the region to be added to the results of the December 28 polls because of what it says were the widespread irregularities.

The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NDC, Daniel Ohene Agyekum told the Accra-based radio station, JOYFM, that the number of voters in most polling centres in the region had more than doubled.

He claims at Kwadaso polling station, the number had increased from 540 in the last special voting to over 1,500 this time around.

The Electoral Commission (EC) officials explain that some officials who could not vote in the last special voting prior to the December 7 election were disenfranchised as they could not partake in the exercise.

To forestall this situation, the officials and other political party agents who will be on duty on December 28 were allowed to vote.

That, they said account for increasing numbers at the polling centres.

But Mr Ohene Agyekum will have none of that; claiming he was nearly manhandled while some supporters of the NDC had been arrested unjustifiably.

Meanwhile JOYFM reports that the election went very peacefully.

He said there were a few complaints of some people failing to find their names in the special voters list.

Luv FM’s Said Ali Yakubu also said the exercise was peaceful.

He said the list of voters was handwritten and that was a bit worrying for some voters.

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Journalist Suspended For "Bias"

True Democrat intelligence has uncovered a grand plot by the NPP to ensure the clearing of the media stable of all journalists who refuse to sing the tune of sycophantic adulation of the NPP government and leadership. The plan which has already been put into motion involves various stages of punishing their victims.

They range from mounting pressure on the management of state-owned media and those in which the government of Ghana has an interest to sack journalists believed to be critical of the NPP government and the party.

The plan also targets some for elimination in the event of NPP victory at the polls for personally pushing stories related to drugs to be carried on their networks.

As part of the grand scheme to intimidate, sack and even kill those perceived to be anti-NPP journalists, the NPP government and party has succeeded in mounting pressure on the management of TV3 and Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) to ask some of its senior editors to go on leave without any just cause. Under the first phase, the News Manager of TV3, Osei Boakye has been asked to proceed on leave unceremoniously and return on January 2, 2009, exactly a week after the presidential run-off.

A similar Machiavellian execution style was used at GBC, which had seen the likes of Justice Mingle, Lily Defor, Joyce Anim-Ayeko, Sena Tsikata, Edwin Kumadzra and Tei Kitcher all of GBC all proceeding on leave for the simple reason that they are politically inclined towards the NDC.

In the case of Osei Boakye, our sources in TV3 revealed a concerted effort by the NPP government to arm-twist the hand of the management to get rid of him long ago. However, due to his immense experience and hard work, a few courageous members resisted the pressure.

They resisted the hand of the 'evil' simply because they were then ' in the political off-season' as GBC management used to say when they want to decline an opposition party programme for which live coverage is needed outside the main 'political season' as has been defined by the management of GBC.

With the political temperature reaching the boiling point, the NPP, using its subtle manoeuvres tried to coerce most of the media houses and the journalists working therein to give them a blank-cheque to do what pleases it.

They succeeded in cajoling GBC to go the extra mile to roll out the medium to them as if it is a political party station. In TV3, Osei Boakye, a known NPP sympathizer from his Free Press days had suddenly woken up to his professionals obligations. He has recently refused to sacrifice the principles espoused by such scholars as Ettema and Glasser, who insisted on fairness, balance and objectivity in news coverage for all the political parties irrespective of his known soft spot for the NPP.

Osei Boakye, as the News Manager, therefore stood by this essential element of news gathering, analysis and reporting. His price for adhering to the ethos angered the NPP.

Intense pressure upon pressure, our intelligence said, was mounted on the management to relieve him of his duties. It failed in the run-up to the December 7 elections but had succeeded this time around before next Sunday's presidential run-off. It took open threats from the seat of government for the management of TV3 to cave-in.

Prior to the December 7, 2008 elections, the NPP government and party had planned a complete control of the electronic media. A detailed plan to buy all the movers and shakers of action from management to editors and reporters was drawn. In the world of the NPP, money can buy anything except converting a man into a woman.

It is from this monetary greed machine of corrupting every single soul in the political arena that the NPP set out to prosecute its campaign. Contrary to their crude capitalist mentality of everything is 'buyable' there are those with conscience and reputation to protect. Those who rejected their drug money as a bait to 'play ball' have become games primed for hunting on the premise of ensuring mindless conformism in their chapel of constitutional democracy.

Credible evidence available to the True Democrat further revealed how the management of GBC contrary to the laid-down procedure of applying for leave, filled the leave forms for Sena Tsikata, Joyce Anim- Ayeko, Edwin Kumadzra and Lily Defor among others.

Our investigations confirmed that Amidu Chodi, the Director of Administration personally prepared the forms for these senior journalists and broadcasters. As the intelligence noted, these acts are part of grand plot by the NPP to silence independent-minded journalists determined to uphold the tenets of the profession of journalism and broadcasting as an impartial, balanced and fair trade.

In the view of the intelligence sources, the resort to subterfuge, open threats to journalists started with then candidate J.A. Kufuor prior to the 1996 elections when he threatened journalists on the Daily Graphic with dire consequences if he won political power. Unfortunately, he lost. With eyes on him as to his next move, his NPP government changed tact and instead use covert methods to render perceived NDC journalists redundant while promoting their partisan and card-bearing appendages to various influential positions including editorship of the Daily Graphic.

The intolerance and political bigotry of the NPP is back in full flight as witnessed recently through Jake Obetsebi Lamptey's silly letters to Radio Gold and Vibe Fm. The motive behind the letter warning these stations of bias is part of the overall strategy to target some of the practitioners for elimination when they retain power.

For the first stage of the plot has been unveiled and being executed in its crude form. Osei Boakye of TV3 has fallen victim, the senior journalists of GBC have been dealt with and the beam has switched to subtle threats on Radio Gold, Vibe Fm and perceived NDC newspapers.

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Remains of six Ghanaians killed in Italy to be flown in today

Accra, Dec. 23, GNA - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and NEPAD on Tuesday announced that the remains of the six Ghanaians killed in Italy will be flown to Ghana Tuesday evening and handed over to their families, after proper identification. A release signed by Mr Akwasi Osei Adjei, sector Minister said he had met with the families yesterday December 22, 2008 to extend the condolences of the government and people of Ghana and also to brief them on developments so far.

It said it would be recalled that on September 18, this year, an unspecified number of person, mostly of African origin, were shot at without provocation in the Italian city of Naples, resulting in several deaths, including six Ghanaians. The Ghanaians include Kwadwo Owusu Wiafe, Karim Yakubu (alias Awanfa), Kwame Antwi Julius Francis, all of Nkoranza and Ibrahim Muslim (alias Alhaji), Justice Sonny Abu, and Eric Affum Yeboah (alias Tailor) all of Kumasi.

The release said the motive of the crime remains unknown to date but it has been established that this cowardly and dastardly act was carried out by a group with links to the Casalesi clan of the Naples Camora Mafia.

It stated that in the aftermath of the killings the Minister summoned the Italian Ambassador to Ghana to condemn the incident in the strongest possible terms, while demanding that the Italian government took prompt action to apprehend and punish the perpetrators of the gruesome crime.

It said on the instructions of the Ministry, Ghana's Ambassador to Italy initiated discussions with the Italian authorities on a number of issues, including the expeditious investigation and prosecution of the culprits; repatriation of the remains of the deceased to Ghana for proper burial; and the appropriate compensation to be paid to the bereaved families.

The release said as a result of the cooperation received from the Italian authorities, the remains of the six Ghanaians will be flown to Ghana this evening and handed over to their families, after proper identification.

It stated that the Ministry, through the Ghana Embassy in Rome, will continue to remain engaged with the Italian authorities on matters that were outstanding from this unfortunate incident, including the judicial processes to determine the appropriate compensation that will be paid to the families of the victims.

The release said while regretting the circumstances under which the six compatriots lost their lives, the Ministry assured the general public of its commitment to protecting the interests and welfare of Ghanaian citizens residing abroad, legally or otherwise.

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Tema Community One market traders complain of low sales

Tema, Dec. 23, GNA - Barely three days to celebrate Christmas, traders at Tema Community One market have complained about low patronage of their wares.

Most of them were either calling for the attention of customers or relaxing behind their wares blaming the low patronage on the December 28 Presidential election run-off.

They told Ghana News Agency on Monday that most people were concentrating on the run-off causing a reduction in the purchase of goods such as biscuits, drinks, rice, gifts and decorations for Christmas celebration.

Owners of some gift shops visited said their shops were being neglected by customers as they explained that the few people who visited their shops only bought greeting cards.

Shopkeepers at Esca's Gift Shop said even though they had presentable gift items, customers preferred buying greeting cards which prices range from one to four Ghana cedis. Auntie Maggie, a trader in Christmas decorations and artificial flowers said even though individuals were not buying as expected, some churches were buying items for the decoration of their auditorium. However, she was optimistic that, the trade pattern would change on the eve of Christmas noting that customers were noted for shopping at the last minute.

She gave the price of a strip of plastic Christmas decoration as GH¢1.50 while the price of a Christmas tree ranges from GH¢10 to GH¢70 and a music light decoration cost between three and five Ghana cedis.

The meat section of the market looked virtually empty as only few people were spotted buying meat. Mr Alhassan Baba Ahmed, a meat seller said; "market is so bad that the normal trend of people trooping in to buy around this time is missing." A rice and oil seller who claimed people were not buying despite the reduction in prices blamed the low patronage on lack of money in the system.

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• 22.12.2008 

Chiefs petitions Kufuor against border closure

Accra, Dec. 22, GNA - The Volta Region House of Chiefs has appealed to President John Agyekum Kufuor to stop the intended closure of the Ghana-Togo border during the December 28 Presidential Election runoff saying the action would not augur well for a united nation.

In a statement signed by Togbe Afede XIV and Nana Soglo Alloh IV, president and vice president, respectively of the Volta Region House of Chiefs, the Chiefs recalled that their protest against the closure of the border for the December 7 general election was totally ignored.

The Chiefs noted that although the government had announced that Ghana's borders would remain open during the December 7 elections, the Ghana-Togo border was closed on December 5 2008.

It said the closure denied many Ghanaians, especially those who either lived across the border or were on short visits, the opportunity to exercise their franchise during the December 7 elections.

The Chiefs said over the past week, they had been bombarded with calls from a section of the population, expressing concern that the Ghana-Togo border might be closed again before Sunday's presidential election runoff.

The Chiefs stressed that as citizens and traditional Leaders, they were concerned about the potential, present and future ramifications of the closure.

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Mills touts his trustworthiness

Accra, Dec. 22. GNA - NDC Leader and Presidential Candidate, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, is asking the people of Ghana to vote for a President they can trust and that is him. According to Prof. Atta Mills, the second round was a contest between himself and Nana Akufo-Addo, the NPP candidate, and not a contest between the NDC and the NPP.

"The NDC and NPP contest is over. It is now about John Evans Atta Mills and Akufo-Addo and I want the people of Ghana to judge us by what we stand for," he said in messages as he campaigned in the Western Region.

A statement issued by his Campaign Office said Prof. Atta Mills was taking his campaign to the Western Region after a very successful tour of the Central Region.

"I am the Leader of a party that has welfarism and people-centred approach to managing the affairs of state as its core values. Compare that to Akufo-Addo who is leading a party that believes in property-owning democracy and holds on to the maxim that the rich must get richer whiles the poor get poorer," Prof. Atta Mills said. "Especially for those of you in the Western Region, God has blessed you with a lot of Ghana's natural resources and with the oil find, you a need a President who will not enrich himself and his cronies with your resources whiles you the people who should benefit from the resources wallow in abject poverty."

In line with his pledge to, within a 100 days, present a bill to Parliament to review downwards tariffs and taxes, Prof. Atta Mills has been stating that the NDC government will bring relief to Ghanaians. Speaking specifically to the issue of the high duties that importers pay at the ports, Prof Mills has promised that his government will reduce import duties.

"I am a tax expert and I know it for a fact that it is not about the quantum of revenue that is generated; it is about how efficiently the revenue is managed that is why I will not hesitate to bring relief to Ghanaians by reviewing downwards taxes and tariffs." Prof. Mills has also pledged to make sure that private lotto operators stay in business.

He recalled how it was during the time of President Jerry John Rawlings that private lotto operators were licensed and promised to give them back their legal freedom to operate. According to Prof. Atta Mills, the lame and desperate attempt by the NPP to create the impression that private lotto operators will be given back their license, is nothing but an attempt to score cheap political points.

"Is it not the NPP that has destroyed the private lotto business? So if Akufo-Addo says that he is going to move in the same direction as President Kufuor, why should anybody take the NPP serious when it is now paying lip service to private lotto operators?"

"The NDC has done it before, and we will do it again by allowing private lotto operators to function within the ambit of the law." "Professor Mills has been receiving rousing welcomes everywhere he has visited and just as happened in the Central Region, the Western Region is also pledging maximum support for Professor Mills and come December 28 there is no reason to doubt that the Western Region will double its support for the Better Ghana agenda of Professor Mills and for the CHANGE process to be completed," the statement said.

Professor Mills has also been thanking the people of the Western Region for giving the NDC majority of the seats and asking them to turn out in their numbers on December 28 and vote massively for change.

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NDC calls for last push to victory

Ho, Dec. 22, GNA - The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called on its supporters in the Volta Region to vote massively in the last push to victory on December 28.

The call was made by a host of speakers at a victory rally held by the Ho Central Youth Wing of the party at the weekend. The speakers included Mr Fifii Kotey, National Propaganda Secretary of the Party;

Ms Jessie Ekumebu, Volta Regional Deputy Women's Organizer; Captain George Nfodjo (rtd) MP-elect for Ho Central; Mr Ludwig Hlodze a Youth Activist and Mr Fred Agbenu, National President of the Tertiary Educational Institutions Network (TEIN) of the Party among others.

They took turns to stress the need for the Party's supporters in the Region to shed complacency and apathy and leave nothing to chance in the December 28 Presidential runoff.

Mr Kotey urged supporters of the Party to act as foot soldiers and organizers in a massive mobilization drive, to get all registered voters to the polling stations on that day.

He said the Party would be relying on its massive support in the Region to clinch victory in the runoff. Ms Ekumebu said more than 25,000 people in the Region did not vote on December 7.

"Whether rain or shine let us make it a point to vote on December 28," she said.

Mr Hlodze urged supporters, who have some business to transact in neighbouring Togo to do so, a few days before the runoff so as not to get stranded in that country as happened during the December 7 elections, following the closure of Ghana's border with that country.

"Know that your thumbs are as lethal as bullets, a means for humbling people," he said.

Mr Ganyaglo urged the youth of the Party to educate their relatives and friends on the best way to vote in order that the Party harnesses all its valid votes.

He urged them to be watchful and vigilant during the various stages of the election that day.

They were to ensure that ballot papers given were stamped by the Election Assistants and did not have any other marks that might render them invalid.

Those who have lost their voter identity cards were also asked to go to the polling stations to have their identities checked in the voters' register so as not to miss the right to vote.

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   Cedi depreciates 24.6% since January

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NDC Press statement

PRESS STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS ON SUNDAY THE 21ST OF DECEMBER 2008

THE NEED FOR ENSURING A CLEAN CAMPAIGN & NOT CREATING FURTHER POLARIZATION IN THE QUEST FOR WINNING THE PRESIDENCY

The National Democratic Congress has realized over the last week that the campaign for the Presidency is becoming more divisive, deceptive and incendiary.

This is quite clear from recent media reportage on various issues. The public may recall the allegations that "hoodlums" allegedly associated with the NDC were planning to attack Pastor Mensa Otabil in the Saturday 13th of December issue of the Daily Graphic, and the Monday 15th of December Edition of the Daily Guide and the further reports in other newspapers on the same subject during the week.

The undersigned being the Communications Director of the NDC issued a press statement on the subject on Monday the 15th of December denying the NDC's involvement with any such "hoodlums", and on Thursday the 18th of December the NDC had a press conference which was addressed by our Vice-Presidential Candidate, Hon. John Dramani Mahama where he quite clearly stated, that we had no knowledge of, nor any association with any such alleged plans of attack.

Our Vice-Presidential Candidate further stated that we were aware that there were allegations of a so called "hit-list" being circulated in the media where it was again alleged that some person's associated with our party were plotting to harm prominent members of our society and that we had no knowledge of any of our members being involved in such plots and that we would wish that this matter is thoroughly investigated by the police.

We trust that the police will investigate these allegations quickly and apprehend those responsible for spreading these falsehoods so that the people of this country can have their minds at rest.

It has further come to our knowledge that these allegations of violence, attack, mayhem, causing harm to innocent Ghanaians are going to be the subject of further allegations in sections of the media in the coming week.

We believe that journalism as a profession has certain minimum professional and ethical standards - the basic ones being that the facts are sacred and should be clearly stated as such. Another basic requirement is that the facts ought to be ascertained before publications are made.

Similarly with political advertising the facts ought to be respected before putting out any placements and we would hope that the various media houses will also pay attention to this before accepting any political advertising placements.

We believe that it is important to bear in mind that notwithstanding the fact that this is a closely fought contest at the end of the elections we will still need to co-exist with each other as one nation irrespective of our political differences, and that any attempts to inflame people's passions for or against a political party's candidate may lead to cracks within our society and body politic that may be difficult to repair .

We have reason to believe based on the information available to us, that some advertising placements will be made next week by persons who may or may not be directly related to any political party that can have the impact of creating fear and discontent amongst the general public.

We have had that experience with some advertising purportedly placed on our behalf and we do not condone such actions and activities. We think that it is important to restate that a campaign based on deceit, and untruths can only create political tension and instability and that it is not in the interest of our country that this should be allowed to take place.

There is no NPP Ghana or NDC Ghana, there is only the Republic of Ghana and we must all work together to build a stronger and more united nation.

We can not afford to promote anything else. In this last phase of the campaign where we decide which of the two contenders to the Presidency will emerge as the next President of the Republic of Ghana let us remember that the President is to be elected to serve the nation and not to rack up old wounds, create alarm and panic by peddling fiction and falsehood and thereby divide our nation.

Why did we spend millions of cedis on National Reconciliation to try and heal our nation if the same issues that were supposed to be dealt with and closed are racked up once again, and exaggerated for political expediency?

The President should be responsible to ensure the cohesiveness of our society and not the disintegration of our society.

Let us remember that the 28th of December is an event within the process of building our democracy, and it is in our common interest that we conduct ourselves such that we build a stronger more inclusive, more united Ghana after the election is over.

Therefore we should be mature and responsible enough not do do "everything" to win the elections, and create divisions amongst the people to whom we will pledge our commitment to lead and serve, when all is said and done.

Hanna S. Tetteh Director of Communications National Democratic Congress

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I paid for the supporting Others - Nduom

The Nduom for President 08 Campaign Team led by the Presidential Candidate of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom reached Kumasi in the Ashanti Region on Friday, 19 December 2008.

The nation-wide tour to thank CPP members, executives and Parliamentary Candidates has taken Dr. Nduom and his team to the Ashanti, Greater Accra, Volta and Eastern Regions. The meeting in Kumasi was attended by Campaign team members including David Ampofo, Richmond Lamptey, Mr. Francis Tamakloe, Berlinda Bulley, David Mensah and others. The meeting was chaired by the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the CPP Mr. S. K. Danso.

Dr. Nduom told the people that he felt he paid for the support the CPP and its components parts have given to the NDC and the NPP in the 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004 elections. Particularly, he cited the support given to the NPP during the 2000 run-off which put that party in government and resulted in people such as Prof. Hagan, Kabral Amihere, Kojo Armah, the late Kwesi Armah, Hajia Adisa Munkaila and other CPP members in positions in government. He said that he had become the embodiment of the decisions made by the Party’s Central Committee. Therefore, he is very supportive of the independent position taken by the Party with regards to the 2008 run-off election. He urged the Party to maintain that position and said that should the Party change its position the leadership would have to go to the public themselves to explain and justify supporting any one of the parties in the run-off.

The major complaint voiced during the meeting by the participants was the behaviour of many of the Parliamentary Candidates during the last month of the campaign which they said cost the Party votes. They urged the Party to be more diligent in reviewing the background of all candidates for positions and impose a requirement of membership duration and proven contribution to the Party. The regional and constituency executives were particularly distressed over the behaviour of about 17 parliamentary candidates who have formed two groups one publicly supporting the NDC and the other supporting the NPP in the run-off election.

Dr. Nduom told them that this is the time to strengthen the Party and unite all components of the organization. He asked for non-stop effort to unite the Party. He said unity also rests on a foundation of discipline and asked all members to act according to the direction provided by the national leadership. He reminded them that some Ghanaians voted against the CPP for perceived alignment to other parties and asked all to conduct themselves during the run-off election in a way that will promote greater confidence in the Party by the electorate.

Dr. Nduom asked the people to go and find the thousands of people who registered with the Party in 2008 and give them sufficient reasons to become active and develop the loyalty necessary for them to become reliable foot soldiers for the CPP now and in the future. He asked members to close ranks and work toward improving the electoral fortunes of the Party in the next elections. The First Vice Chairman of the Party in the Region, Madam Serwaa thanked Dr. Nduom for investing so much to make the CPP attractive and competitive. She promised that should he decide to contest to become the CPP’s flag bearer for the 2012 elections, he would get the support of the region. She was particularly grateful for the time and interest demonstrated by Mrs. Yvonne Nduom and hoped that she would feel strong and continue to support the efforts of her husband. She pledged full support for Nduom and asked him to continue to provide leadership that will make the Party stronger.

On behalf of the Ashanti Region Parliamentary Candidates, Mr. Kwaku Nkansah thanked Dr. Nduom for support provided in the form of vehicles, motor cycles, posters and funds provided. He asked other leading members of the Party to make tangible and concrete contributions so that the burden would not fall on only one person the next time. Dr. Nduom promised to open offices for the Party where in the constituencies that he could not assist this year by the end of January 2009 and inventory was taken immediately during the meetings to determine where the need existed.

Dr. Nduom has scheduled follow up meetings with Ashanti Region Parliamentary Candidates to attempt to rally them around the Party’s position and decision on the run-off election.

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Nkrumaist Forum Backs Mills

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE NKRUMAIST FORUM, ON THIS DAY, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2008

Fellow citizens of Ghana,

We the undersigned members of the Coordinating Committee of the Nkrumaist Forum(TNF) and members of the TNF, on behalf of the TNF, wish to affirm the following policy statements on the forthcoming Run Off to the 2008 General Elections.

After due consultation we wish to communicate the following: . We wish to communicate our congratulations to the leadership and membership of all the parties, their presidential and parliamentary candidates, polling agents, and the worthy Ghanaian voters for a most exemplary showing at the December 7, 2008 Ghana General Elections.

We wish to congratulate the leaders and cadres of the Nkrumaist parties for keeping hope alive in the face of the daunting challenges they face by mobilizing and rallying the Ghanaian electorate to vote for them. Even though the showing was below expectations, it was the best that could be achieved under the present circumstances. We appreciate the efforts and resources they put into the elections. We however wish to reiterate our perennial call for unity of the Nkrumaist parties as the surest way of making the Nkrumaist agenda dominant and acceptable again. We believe the leadership of the Nkrumaist parties cannot ignore the writing on the wall any longer.

We wish to particularly congratulate Hon. Samia Yaba Nkrumah for showing such resolve and determination, and ultimately winning the Jomoro seat on the ticket of the CPP as the sole CPP in Parliament. We congratulate the two PNC MP-elects, Alhassan Azong and Bayirga Haruna, for making it a threesome in Parliament. We look forward to seeing them play an independent role in the forthcoming Parliament. They must never again subject us to the humiliating spectacle of sychophancy that the previous "Nkrumaist" candidates in Parliament had subjected us to.

We of the Nkrumaist Forum hold dear to the social democratic foundations and tenets enshrined by Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and the now vindicated state-centered approach to development and job creation.

We recognize that the Central Committees of the Convention Peoples Party and the People National Congress have declared their official positions of neutrality in the December 28th Run Off. We of the Nkrumaist Forum have however decided on giving our unequivocal support and endorsement to the NDC presidential candidate - Professor John Atta Mills based on these simple facts.

When it comes to making a choice between the scion of a foremost leader of the UP/PP tradition, now the presidential candidate of the NPP, and the product of the Kwame Nkrumah Ideological Institute, who is a campus socialist, a leading member of the International Socialist Forum, and a conscientious crusader in the practice of social democracy, there can be no ambiguity in the one all progressives MUST SUPPORT - PROF. JOHN ATTA MILLS.

When financial institutions, transnationals and other pillars of world capitalist countries are collapsing with expected grave consequences for us in Africa, one cannot be ambivalent about the rejection of some dodgy concepts of "indigenous capitalism" in a neo-colonial country like Ghana.

Our support comes with several affirmations including the following: That this endorsement comes purely on the basis of the shared ideological and political goals of the Nkrumaist parties which are represented on the Nkrumaist forum.

Regardless of all the mutli-faceted reasons why we have not yet been able to unite into one Nkrumaist party, we believe the time has come for change, and change we must have now! Change is good for the people of Ghana. It will salvage them from the ravages of the eight years of misrule by the unwholesome and money-grabbing NPP politicians.

We must close our ranks and rally behind Professor Atta Mills with the sole aim of helping to bring down the NPP regime that has demonstrated its arrogance, ideological bankruptcy and fraudulence. The NPP has gone against every tenet of the principles of social democracy that have been our core raison d'etre. The government of the NPP has shown optimum contempt for the economic, political and social well being of the people of Ghana, and it is time to join forces and throw their yoke off. Voting for the NPP candidate will further entrench these vices in the body politic of Ghana.

By throwing our support behind Professor Atta Mills at the upcoming election run-off, we are by no means ceding our integrity or sovereignty to the NDC.

We are simply joining the forces of change that are sweeping across Ghana and the world in general. In these times of dire economic crisis when the "private enterprise, property owning democracy," policies of the NPP have been shown to be bankrupt even in the citadels of capitalism, it is time to distance ourselves from such injurious political and economic practices that have held our people to ransom. With the NDC in power, we of the Nkrumaist Forum shall join forces with others to maintain a keen interest and vigilance on the activities of the NDC government under the much respected and astute leadership of Professor John Atta Mills and his cabinet. We do not subscribe to the simplistic and scare-mongering tactics that voting for Mills will amount to voting in Rawlings through the back door. We would among other things, expect transparency, accountability, consciencism, the rule of law and absolute disgust for corruption and other acts that constitute economic sabotage. We will also expect a Mills administration to work tirelessly and assiduously to unite the entire country and make science and technology the main cornerstone for national development.

We urge all voters who voted for the Nkrumaist parties, independent voters and undecided voters who voted for the NPP and those who failed to vote on 7th December, to use this opportunity to turn up in large numbers to vote for change. Our people deserve better and they are better served by a change in government. We believe that the NDC has surely learned some tough lessons while in opposition.

A Mills presidency will be a far better option than an NPP under Akufo-Addo. Let's give Mills all our support.

FORWARD EVER, BACKWARD NEVER.

We remain the Undersigned, on behalf of:

The Executive and Coordinating Committee, The Nkrumaist Forum:

Ama Adumea Ohene, Secretary, The Nkrumaist Forum.

Explo Nani-Kofi, Andy Kwawukume, Michael Gyamerah,

Selassie Mawuenyega, Alex J. Asare, John Jara Nutakor,

Wendy Addae, Clement Ameho, George Kweifio-Okai,

W. Kwadwo Boateng , Evans Afenya, Forum Moderator and Owner.

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