Osafo Marfo, Agyarko Cleared

Parliament’s Appointments Committee has finally cleared Senior Minister-designate Yaw Osafo Marfo and Energy Minister-designate Boakye Agyarko after their approval was withheld over certain concerns.

They were given the all clear after some horse-trading between the majority and minority sides of the house on Thursday.

The Minority in Parliament had earlier vowed to block the approval of the two. Their eight other colleagues who have also been vetted were cleared. They include Alan Kyerematen – Trade, Ken Ofori-Atta – Finance, Dominic Nitiwul – Defence, Albert Kan-Dapaah – National Security, Gloria Akuffo – Attorney General and Justice Minister, Ambrose Dery – the Interior, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey – Foreign Affairs, and Hajia Alima Mahama – Local Government & Rural Development.

With regards to Mr Osafo Marfo, the committee withheld his approval pending further investigation into alleged ethnocentric comments he made in 2015.

When he appeared before the committee on 20 January, Mr Marfo denied ever saying or implying that only Ghanaians from five resource-rich regions, all of which happen to be Akan-dominated areas in the country, should lead Ghana.

In February 2015, he was reported as saying even though about 90 per cent of Ghana’s natural resources were concentrated in the five mainly Akan-speaking regions, it is rather people who come from resource-poor regions who were at the helm of affairs at the time he made those alleged comments.

The comment was contained on an audiotape secretly recorded as the former Finance Minister, who is also the Chairman of the New Patriotic Party’s Eastern regional Council of Elders, was addressing some party members ahead of the 2016 general elections.

Mr Marfo, who spoke the Twi language punctuated with some English, was heard bemoaning why Akan-speaking people, whose regions are rich with natural resources, are not the ones at the helm of managing those resources.

“…You have all the resources, but you have no say in the management of your resources and that is what is happening. Your development depends on the one who has no resources,” he said, cautioning: “You can’t say this openly,” except among Asantes. “We should protect ourselves, we should protect our income. No one who is the source of income, the source of revenue, the source of resources allows another person without those resources the chance [to rule over them]. It’s never done anywhere in the world. In the world over, it is the group with the most resources that rules and not the other way around,” he added.

In his estimation, as reported at the time, “86.5 per cent of resources in Ghana come from five regions: Brong Ahafo, Ashanti, Eastern, Western, and Central. This is where 86 per cent of the resources of Ghana come from. … And the oil was also discovered in the West. It will change the formula to about 90 per cent. We cannot ignore these five regions. We should not.”

Clarifying the comment to the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Friday, 20 January during his vetting as Senior Minister-designate, Mr Osafo Marfo said: “This is one of those distorted ‘cut and paste’ statements.

“I’m the Chairman of the Council of Elders of the NPP in the Eastern Region. We were fighting this election [2016] on the economy and I was giving a series of lectures on the economy to various groups within the region. When it got to the turn of the Council of Elders, the regional chair spoke, Hon Hackman spoke, I spoke and I spoke on the economy, but you don’t talk about the economy by starting with the resource location; … I started by talking about how poorly this economy has been managed that we have gone from GHS9.4bn debt to GHS110bn debt at the time, and how growth, without oil, was 1.9bn and had dwindled to about 4% etc., … And I said something which I’ve said in this room: that Ghana is not poor and that the resource base of this country is found in five regions and I mentioned the regions specifically because I was making a strong economic argument.

“Now people removed all that I said about the poor management of the economy and then made it look like I started by talking about the resource locations of this thing and put it forward and changed certain things to make me look like I was being a tribalist and it was bad, this is where I find people very mischievous; … You take the whole thing out of context and make it look very tribalistic, so, I think, yes, it happened, newspapers reported something wrong and I think people should be ashamed of themselves when they do this kind of ‘cut and paste’ to create that wrong impression in the system…” Mr Osafo Marfo clarified.

He refused to apologise for the alleged comment when he appeared before the committee. “Mr Chairman, I cannot apologise for what I have not said.”

Ekow Annan earlier reported that the Minority also felt Mr Osafo Marfo lied to the committee about the botched CNTCI and IFC loan deals.

Explaining himself on the two deals when he appeared before the committee, Mr Osafo Marfo said a section of the Ghanaian public played mischief with issues that arose from the Chinese New Techniques Construction Investment Company (CNTCI) loan debacle, cynically christened “Salon Loan”, approved by parliament on April 13, 2004.

Mr Marfo, who was the Minister of Finance at the time the loan was approved, suffered severe backlash from some Ghanaians especially members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for failing to conduct due diligence after questions about the company’s identity arose and subsequently when the address it provided was traced to a beauty salon in the UK.

The General Secretary of the NDC at the time, the late Dr Josiah Aryeh, at a press conference in Accra had said: “The identity or identities of the lenders, the intricate corporate maze known as the CNTCI, the conflicting and confusing addresses and telephone/fax numbers, the concealment of critical conditions of the agreement from the Loan Agreement and from the documentation submitted to Parliament, including the issue of the bank guarantee and the sole-sourcing undertakings, all point to one thing. Something is wrong somewhere. Someone is not telling the truth to Ghanaians.

He also suffered similar flak in connection with the IFC loan deal during the Kufuor administration.

The NDC at the time said it wrote to Interpol seeking assistance to unravel the mystery over the botched loan agreements. “Coming so soon after the IFC debacle, we must, as a country, take precaution against those who may be out to take this country for a ride.”

But responding to these issues during his vetting on January 20, Mr Marfo said: “The report we had on the IFC were positive, Barclays did it on our behalf because we were looking for a long-term finance.”

“But along the line we wanted to know the bank, where the money they intend to give us was located, because there should be evidence that you have the financial muscle to provide that type of loan.

“We then had difficulty getting that confirmation on location and payout and I came to parliament to say that in view of the difficulty we were getting on the location and the financial muscle even though we have positive reports, we were withdrawing that whole application.

“Some people were mischievous with the issue especially in the media and that worked for them.”

As far as Mr Agyarko’s nomination was concerned, committee member Mubarak Muntaka told Accra-based Joy FM on Wednesday that “for the nominee to say the World Bank was breathing down the neck of former President Mahama, it was very much uncalled for".

Source: classfmonline.com

I Wish I Could Say I'm Taking Over NDC' - Rawlings

Former President Jerry John Rawlings

Former President Jerry John Rawlings has said he wished he could say he was taking over the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) as being rumoured and claimed that he plans doing.

“I wish I could say yes, but I think it sounds better in my ear to say that I want God to come and lead us because of the integrity factor. God can be found in the truth,” Mr Rawlings said on Thursday 26 January when the Volta regional caucus of the party in parliament called on him at his office.

He bemoaned that integrity had been “held hostage” in the NDC and, thus, urged the party to, in candour and truthfulness, seek answers to its loss in the December 2016 general elections.

The founder of the NDC charged the Volta regional caucus to restore integrity within the NDC, which he said had suffered.

“It has been ambushed and held hostage. The time has come to free the truth,” the ex-military leader told the caucus members when they called on him at his office.

Mr Rawlings called for sincerity in speech, thought and action as the party probes its loss. “The time to free the truth is now,” he said.

“What our supporters need is candour. If you want them to stay united, if you want them to be a little strong, all you can offer them now is candour. Don’t engage in political talk of the past.”

The former president said the misuse of executive power by some people had, with time, led to the detachment of the party from the people, stating the intoxicating effects of power had made many leaders of the party and government impervious to reality. “We adopted certain habits which were going to lead to failure and we were not seeing it. The mistakes were too obvious,” he stated.

The Member of Parliament for Ho West, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, who led the delegation, thanked the former president for the audience and indicated that the purpose of the meeting was to open channels of communication so they could tap into his rich experience.

Source: Classfmonline

Rawlings Calls For Truth & Candour . . . As NDC Seeks Answers To Electoral Loss

Ghana’s former President and founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings has charged the Volta Regional caucus of the party in Parliament to champion the spirit of truth and candour as post mortem is performed on the December 2016 electoral loss.

The integrity factor, the former President intimated had suffered. “It has been ambushed and held hostage. The time has come to free the truth,” the party founder said when the Volta Regional caucus of the NDC called on him at his office on Thursday.

Former President Rawlings called for sincerity in speech, thought and action as the party sought to identify the root causes of its electoral loss saying, “The time to free the truth is now”.

“What our supporters need is candour. If you want them to stay united, if you want them to be a little strong, all you can offer them now is candour. Don’t engage in political talk of the past,” the former President said.

Responding to commentary that he was gunning to take over the NDC, President Rawlings said: “ I wish I could say yes, but I think it sounds better in my ear to say that I want God to come and lead us because of the integrity factor. God can be found in the truth.”

The former President said the misuse of Executive power by some people had with time led to the detachment of the party from the people, stating the intoxicating effects of power had made many leaders of the party and government impervious to reality. “We adopted certain habits which were going to lead to failure and we were not seeing it. The mistakes were too obvious,” he stated.

The Member of Parliament for Ho West, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah who led the delegation thanked the former President for the audience and indicated that the purpose of the meeting was to open channels of communication so they could tap into his rich experience.

Signed:

Kobina Andoh Amoakwa

(Communications Directorate)

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana

'Sir John' To Head G.P.H.A. As Director General

Sir John

Mr Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie popularly known as Sir John is set to assume the vacant post of the Director General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), Graphic Online has gathered. He is to take over from Mr Richard Anamoo who was relieved of his post as Director General of the GPHA last Monday. While a communication to Mr Anamoo relieving him did not assign reasons, many believed recent allegations of corruption made some workers of the port authority could have played a role. Mr Owusu Afriyie, who served as General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) between 2010 and 2014 according to Graphic Online sources would assume the post in an acting capacity until a new Board of Directors said to be chaired by Mr Peter Mac Manu was constituted. Mr Mac Manu himself was the chairman of the NPP’s 2016 Campaign team and also served as chairman of the party between 2006 and 2010. Mr Owusu Afriyie, a Political Science graduate from the University of Ghana also holds an LLB and has been in private practice as a lawyer since 1981. He is a product of Bekwai SDA Secondary School and Konongo Odumase Secondary (KOSS) both in the Ashanti Region. He previously worked at the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) as a Deputy Chief Executive Officer in an acting position during President John Kufuor’s administration and also as head of Legal Services.

Source: graphic.com.gh

Kofi Adams: I Believe Many Ghanaians Have Regretted Not Voting For John Mahama

Kofi Adams

The National Organizer for the National Democratic Congress [NDC], Kofi Adams believes scores of Ghanaians have deeply regretted for not voting John Dramani Mahama to be retained as president in the recent general polls. "...I’m happy that having been elected and now having gone through vetting the Minister-designate for Health is telling us that it was politics they were doing then on political platforms. That the use of the word ‘collapse’ was too harsh to describe the state of the National Health Insurance Scheme [NHIS], even though it was bedeviled with some challenges which really the then government was working assiduously to deal with; including improving funding sources and also making sure that the level of liquidity of the NHIS is improved,” Kofi Adams said. According to him, through the vetting process, Ghanaians who were hoodwinked into believing that “President Mahama was not working for them, are being told the truth by at least some of these nominees who have not been arrogant, who fear God and who understand that they are speaking under oath and not on a political platform. At least they have been very candid and truthful to the people of this country." Kofi Adams was speaking to Citi News on his views regarding the vetting process of the first batch of ministerial nominees (13) named by the Nana Akufo-Addo administration; especially that of Mr Agyemang Manu, Minister-designate for Health. The NPP's Nana Akufo-Addo won last year's polls, becoming president at the third attempt and cementing the country's reputation as a standard bearer of democracy in a region that has been blighted by civil wars and coups. Akufo-Addo defeated President John Mahama by 53.8 percent to 44.4 percent. But the NDC National Organizer is of thestrong view that the NPP lied its way into power and that the many campaign promises were mere sloganeerisms aimed at wooing the electorates for votes. “I feel bad but it has already happened because citizens were not ready to listen to our side of the story like many people said that many people were yearning for a particular change that they didn’t even know. Today they have seen it and I believe that many of them have regretted for not voting for President Mahama and I do pray that we survive this four years...Ghana will stay strong for a solid come back of the NDC to continue the great job that we were doing,” he added.

Source: Elizabeth Semiheva Bedi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana

MPs Okay 13 Ministers

All things being equal the Appointments Committee of Parliament will recommend the approval of all the 13 ministerial nominees who have been vetted by the members. Eight of the ministers-designate who had earlier appeared before the committee have been given a clean bill of health to be approved by the whole house. According to media reports, the approval of Senior Minister-designate Yaw Osafo-Maafo and Energy Minister-designate Boakye Kyeremateng Agyarko, were put on hold for the meantime because of some unresolved issues relating to their vetting. However, Chairman of the committee, Joe Osei-Owusu, told DAILY GUIDE yesterday that the nominees had been cleared, having provided the information needed from them. The committee is said not to be convinced about the response of the Senior Minister-designate to alleged ethnocentric comments he reportedly made when he met some party members in the Eastern Region. Mr Osafo-Maafo, former Finance Minister, was alleged to have said in 2015 when he met his party people that Ghanaians who do not hail from the five resource-rich regions should not be made to hold sensitive positions to control such resources. An audio recording of his alleged comments during the party’s function went viral. However, at his vetting last Friday, the Senior Minister-designate insisted that his comments were doctored and rejected suggestion that he should render an apology to that effect. “Mr. Chairman, I cannot apologise for what I have not said,” he told the committee members. The Appointments Committee wanted the full tape to be played to satisfy itself as to whether the comments were ethnocentric or not. The Energy Minister-designate Boakye Agyarko also ran into controversy with the claim that the World Bank put pressure on ex-President Mahama to take a decision on a gasification policy. “For the nominee to say the World Bank was breathing down the neck of former President Mahama, it was very much uncalled for,” the deputy ranking member of the committee and Minority Chief Whip, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, told Joy News. According to the Minority Chief Whip, those comments by the Energy Minister-designate had compelled the minority members on the committee to demand evidence. He said the Minister-designate for Energy tried to do politics during his vetting. “Then he puts himself in the den,” Muntaka noted, adding, “Knowing the rules, we can insist on evidence. Can I have the letter that they [World Bank] wrote? Now you would be found wanting because you can’t find the audio; you can’t find any document to prove and make your case stronger.” Muntaka said MPs are free to do politics but for a nominee to do this only sets up a confrontation. The eight nominees who are set to go through are Alan Kyerematen, Minster-designate for Trade and Industry; the Finance minister-designate, Ken Ofori-Atta and the Defence Minister-designate, Dominic Nitiwul. Others are National Security Minister-designate, Albert Kan-Dapaah; Attorney-General and Justice Minister-designate, Ms Gloria Akuffo and the Minister-designate for the Interior, Ambrose Dery. The rest are Foreign Affairs Minister-designate, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey and the Minister-designate for Local Government & Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama. The report on the three nominees who were vetted on Tuesday is also ready and will be laid before the House tomorrow. They are Minister-designate for Education, Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh aka Napo; Minister-designate for Health, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu and Minister-designate for Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto. Mr Osei-Owusu said reports on all the 13 nominees were ready and by Friday all of them would have been cleared to enable President Akufo-Addo to swear them in.

Source: Daily Guide

Pay Our Election Allowance Now – NDC Polling Agents Angry

Some polling station agents of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Kintampo North Constituency of the Brong Ahafo Region, have accused their executives of diverting about GHc 37,100.00 meant for them as allowance for their contribution towards the party’s campaign ahead of the 2016 general elections.

They have given the national leadership of the party a week’s ultimatum to compel the constituency executives to pay them their money or risk having them seizing party property and auctioning them.

The polling agents, numbering about 143, also threatened to resign if leadership fails to investigate and ensure that the executives render accounts of their stewardship.

Speaking to Citi News, Spokesperson for the agents, Joenal Bang Yinbil, lamented that they had been neglected after the elections.

He accused the constituency executives of incompetence and gross misappropriation of party funds.

“We were given 40 cedis instead of 100 cedis during the training of party agents before the elections,” he said.

Mr. Bang Yinbil said the executives violated Article 38 section 1(A) of the NDC constitution by awarding themselves ex-gratia.

He suggested that, the party lost the 2016 elections due to the behaviour of some self-seeking executives who were assigned the responsibility of prosecuting the party’s victory agenda, but chose to squander party resources, and warned that the party will lose public affection if its issues of accountability are not addressed.

Meanwhile, the Constituency Secretary of the party, Emmanuel Kafui, has refuted the allegations, and challenged the aggrieved party members to produce evidence to substantiate the claims.

He admitted the party recruited some polling agents and deployed two agents to each of the 143 polling stations, but said they were all GHc 100.00 cedis for discharging their duties.

Kafui further noted that, the agitating agents were only seeking to tarnish their image because they had previously wanted to serve as executives of the party in the constituency.

He appealed to members of the party to channel their grievances through the appropriate quarters for redress. 

Source: Citifmonline

Full List Of Prez Akufo-Addo’s Regional Ministers

President Nana Akufo-Addo has named his regional ministers in accordance with Article 256(1)(b) of the 1992 Constitution which empowers him with the prior approval of parliament, to appoint for each region, a minister who shall represent him. The president charged all the nominees – if they are approved by the House of Parliament, to deliver on the promise of the New Patriotic Party in the various regions. Below is the full list of the nominees. Greater Accra:   Ishmael Ashitey Ashanti region:  Simon Osei Mensah Brong Ahafo:    Kwaku Asoma Cheremeh Eastern Region: Kwakye Darfour, MP Central Region:  Kwamena Duncan Western Region:  Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, MP Volta Region;  Dr. Archibald Letsa Upper West:  Sulemana Alhassan Upper East:  Rockson Bukari Northern Region: Salifu Saeed

1-district, 1-Factory Preparations Started Under Kufuor – Alan

1-district, 1-Factory Preparations Started Under Kufuor – Alan 

Preparations for the take-off of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government’s 1-district 1-factory election campaign promise, was started under the erstwhile John Kufour administration, Minister-nominee for Trade and Industry Alan Kyerematen has revealed. According to him, the erstwhile government had conducted all the relevant studies and identified feasible factory projects that could be embarked upon in all districts of the country.

 “This is 1-district 1-factory initiative is actually an initiative that we started during our previous time of office in government, and I superintended this initiative.

By 2007, there were about 110 districts at the time, and we had done consultations with the District Assemblies, identified 3 projects in each district, done diagnostic studies, prepared full business plans, and had consultations with a number of business partners and literally we were on the verge of taking off,” Mr. Kyerematen said. Addressing the appointments committee of parliament at his vetting on Monday, Alan Kyerematen said the NPP’s work with regards to the project under Kufour, has prepared the grounds for the new Akufo-Addo led government to execute the policy. “We’ve done an extensive study of all the districts, the 110 [we developed earlier], still encompasses many of the districts that we have now. This was in consultation with the District Assemblies,” he said.

When will construction of factories start?

The nominee said although the government has consulted widely and made the necessary arrangements for the project to commence, he cannot state exactly when the construction of factories will commence. He however noted that, speed in the commencement of the various factories will be dependent on the interest and commitment of private enterprises.

‘1-district 1-factory involves private sector’

According to Alan Kyerematen, although the government will make some financial allocation for the factories, it will collaborate with the private sector to deliver them. He added that the government will set aside part of its $1 million commitment to all 275 constituencies for the construction of the district projects.

FULL TEXT: President Nana Addo’s Inaugural Address

President of Ghana, Nana Akufo Addo has promised to "protect and defend" Ghana's constitution at all times. Akufo-Addo was today sworn in by Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood after he took the presidential oath and the oath of secrecy before parliament.

The ceremony was held at the Independence Square and various heads of state and several dignitaries graced it.

In an address to the nation, the new president congratulated ex-president John Dramani Mahama for his service to our nation and explained that his “dignified acceptance of the verdict of the people on 7th December, 2016, will, without doubt, receive the approval of history.”

In few weeks time, Ghana 60 years and judging from what our forefathers have done for us, President Nana Akufo Addo believes “we no longer have any excuses” to be poor.

“I stand here today, humbled beyond measure for the opportunity to lead this country at this time and take us to a higher level in our development”, he said.

Full Text below…

INAUGURAL ADDRESS OF HIS EXCELLENCY, NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO-ADDO, ON THE OCCASION OF HIS SWEARING IN AS PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC, AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE GHANA ARMED FORCES. 

DATE: 7TH JANUARY, 2017

Mr Speaker,

The Ghanaian people give thanks to Almighty God for the blessings, favour and grace He continues to bestow on them. Exactly a month ago, that is 7th December last year, 2016, we, the people of Ghana, in all serenity and dignity, exercised our democratic franchise freely to elect a President and Parliament of our Republic. We are met here today to give effect to the outcome of that exercise.

In accordance with our republican custom, I, having been declared the winner of the presidential contest on 9th December, 2016, by the returning officer, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Charlotte Osei, have taken the oath of the high office of President of the Republic, in the presence of the newly sworn Vice President, His Excellency Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, and the newly elected Speaker of Parliament, the Rt. Hon. Prof. Michael Oquaye, an oath administered by the Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Georgina Theodora Wood, before the elected representatives of the people assembled in this 7th Parliament of the 4th Republic. This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Our nation is honoured by the presence, at this solemn ceremony of investiture, of leaders and representatives of friendly countries across the globe, in particular those of the sister nations of our regional body, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and of our continental body, the African Union. I salute the Chairperson of the Authority of Heads of State and Governments of the AU, His Excellency Idriss Déby, President of the Republic of Chad.

I salute the Chairperson of the Authority of Heads of State and Governments of ECOWAS, the historic figure, Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia; our special guest of honour, His Excellency Alassane Dramane Ouattara, President of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, and we thank him for his excellent speech; His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of mighty Nigeria; His Excellency Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal; His Excellency Faure Gnassingbé, President of the Republic of Togo; His Excellency Alpha Condé, President of the Republic of Guinea Conakry; His Excellency Patrice Talon, President of the Republic of Benin; His Excellency Ernest Bai Koroma, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone; His Excellency Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, President of the Republic of Mali; His Excellency Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, President of Burkina Faso. We are grateful also for the presence of His Excellency Teodoro Obiang Nguema, President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea; His Excellency Ali Bongo, President of the Republic of Gabon; and His Excellency Edgar Lungu, President of the Republic of Zambia. To them and the representatives of all the other friendly nations who are here, and former presidents and leaders, I say ‘akwaaba’, our famous word of welcome.

I have, at the outset, to thank sincerely our departing President, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, for his service to our nation. He stepped into the breach of national leadership at a delicate moment in the country’s history, with the death in office, for the first time, of a sitting president, the late Prof. John Evans Atta Mills. He has since steered the ship of state with conviction.

His elegant, dignified acceptance of the verdict of the people on 7th December, 2016, will, without doubt, receive the approval of history, for it has contributed significantly to the process of democratic consolidation in Ghana. I wish him and his family well.

For myself, I am in the unique position of being able to draw on the wisdom and experience of three former Presidents of the Republic, their Excellencies Jerry John Rawlings, John Agyekum Kufuor and John Dramani Mahama. They represent the continuity of the institutions of our Republic, for which we thank God.

Mr. Speaker, I am deeply humbled by the exceptional mandate and extraordinary show of confidence that the Ghanaian people have conferred on my party, the New Patriotic Party, and on my modest person. I am determined to do all in my power to accomplish the tasks of the mandate and justify their confidence. I will not let you, the people of Ghana, down.

We have a proud heritage. We are the heirs of John Mensah Sarbah, Joseph Caseley Hayford, George Pa Grant, R.S. Blay, Joseph Boakye Danquah, Emmanuel Obetsebi Lamptey, Edward Akufo-Addo, William Ofori-Atta, Cobbina Kesse, Ernest Ako Adjei, Kwame Nkrumah, Komla Agbeli Gbedema, Kojo Botsio, S.D. Dombo, Kofi Abrefa Busia, Baffuor Osei Akoto and others, who taught us that fidelity to principles, courage, patience, resilience and collective action do yield results.

They fought with intelligence, guts, steely determination and patriotism to liberate our land and reclaim our worth as human beings. Their love for country continues to inspire generations of us to commit our lives to the search for an enduring democratic legacy for Ghana. It is not for nothing that when our forebears established the Ghanaian nation, they chose “Freedom and Justice” as our motto. Our generation has to give meaning to this motto.    

On March 6, in a few weeks’ time, Ghana will attain 60 years as an independent nation. I suspect that those early nationalists would be disappointed, if they came today and saw the level of development we have achieved in 60 years of independence.

Our journey has had some highs and unfortunately many lows. Since we accepted a consensus on how we should be governed with the onset of the Fourth Republic, we have performed more creditably. It is within this period of 24 years that Ghana has witnessed a consistent period of development.

Sixty years after attaining nationhood, we no longer have any excuses for being poor. I stand here today, humbled beyond measure for the opportunity to lead this country at this time and take us to a higher level in our development.

The words of JB Danquah, one of the founding fathers of the Ghanaian nation, are compelling. He said as far back as 1960 that the duty of government should be “to liberate the energies of the people for the growth of a property owning democracy in this land, with right to life, freedom and justice, as the principles to which the government and the laws of the land should be dedicated in order specifically to enrich life, property and liberty of each and every citizen.”  

We have an exuberant and young, growing population that wants the best of what the world has to offer and will not settle for “Third World” or “developing world” standards. We have an adventurous people who are in a hurry for success. I have no doubt that the talents, energies, sense of enterprise and innovation of the Ghanaian can be harnessed to make Ghana the place where dreams come true.

It took us a while, but the consensus on multi-party constitutional rule has been established, and, for the third time, we have had a peaceful transfer of power from a governing party to an opposition one. We have done it without any fuss and it is now part of what we do as a people.

Kofi Abrefa Busia, Prime Minister of the Progress Party government of the 2nd Republic, and one of the great Ghanaians, said in these eloquent words: “We regard politics as an avenue of service to our fellow men. We hold that political power is to be exercised to make life nobler and happier.

Our success or failure should be judged by the quality of the individual, by his knowledge, his skills, his behaviour as a member of society, the standard of living he is able to enjoy and by the degree of harmony and brotherliness in our community life as a nation.”

We should move on to deepen our democracy. It is time to make sure that we have a true separation of powers between the various arms of government. Our Parliament, the legislative arm of government, must grow into its proper role as an effective machinery for accountability and oversight of the Executive, and not be its junior partner.

The Ghanaian Parliament, the Ghanaian Member of Parliament, must stand out as institutions that represent all that we hold dear and citizens can take pride in.

Our judiciary must inspire confidence in the citizens, so we can all see the courts as the ultimate arbitres when disputes arise, as they would. A Ghanaian judge must be a reassuring presence and the epitome of fairness.

We have worked with our national constitution for 24 years and we now know the areas that require change. I believe a consensus is emerging that we must decentralize more. We must devolve more power with corresponding resources to the base of our political system and to our people, in the regions and communities. We must trust the individual and collective wisdom and good sense of our people. 

We must restore integrity in public life. State coffers are not spoils for the party that wins an election, but resources for the country’s social and economic development. I shall protect the public purse by insisting on value-for-money in all public transactions. Public service is just that – service and not an avenue for making money.  Money is to be made in the private sector, not the public. Measures will be put in place to ensure this.

We must create wealth and restore happiness to our nation. We can only do this when we have an educated and skilled population that is capable of competing in the global economy. We must expand our horizons and embrace science and technology as critical tools for our development.

We believe that the business of government is to govern.  Ours is to set fair rules.  We will provide vision and direction and shine the light down the path of our entrepreneurs and farmers. We are, indeed, counting on a vibrant private sector to drive growth and create jobs.  

We will stimulate the creative juices of innovators. We will bring back to life the adventurer in you. It is time to imagine and to dream again; time to try that business idea again. We will reduce taxes to recover the momentum of our economy. The doors of Ghana are open again. The shutters are up again. There could not be a better opportunity to “Make in Ghana”, and to make it in Ghana. GHANA IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS AGAIN! 

We will build a confident Ghana which is united, at peace with itself and takes pride in its diversity.  

We will rekindle the spirit that made Ghana the leading light on the African continent, and make our conditions deserving of that accolade. We will work with our neighbours and friends on the continent to enhance peace, democracy and political stability in our part of the world. We will reassert vigorously the Pan African vocation to which our nation has been dedicated. Integration of our region and of our continent will be a strategic objective of Ghanaian policy.

It will not be easy. We have no illusions whatsoever about the enormity of the task that we face, but I know that Ghanaians at home and abroad will rise to the occasion; they always do.

It will require sacrifice, but it can be done. Others have done it. So can we. Our best days still lie ahead. Though our challenges are fearsome, so are our strengths. Ghanaians have ever been a restless, questing, hopeful people. And we must bring to our task today the vision and will of those who came before us.

The Ghanaian people have summoned the change we celebrate today. They have raised their voices in an unmistakable chorus. They have cast their votes without equivocation and have forced the change. Now we must do the work the season demands. To that work, I now turn with all the authority of my office. I ask the Legislature and Judiciary to join with me. But no President, no Parliament, no Government can undertake this mission all by itself.

Fellow citizens, you must be at the centre of the change. The change we have voted for will have to start with each of us as individuals. We can start with little changes in our own individual attitudes and practices. The change can and should start now and with us as individuals.     

I ask you to be citizens: citizens, not spectators; citizens, not subjects; responsible citizens building your communities and our nation. Let us work until the work is done. Holy Scripture in Galatians 6:9 says "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." 

I assure you, my fellow citizens, who have entrusted me with this mandate, that I will advance my convictions with civility, I will serve the public interest with courage, I will speak for greater justice as well as compassion, and I will call for responsibility and I will live it, as well.

This is my solemn pledge.

I see exciting times ahead. The rule of law will be the underlying tenet of our lives; and the law will be applicable to all of us, and not just some.

We will have to work hard, harder than we have ever done before; and the hard work will be done by all of us, and not just some. There will be discipline in all sectors of our lives; and this applies to all of us, not just some.

Our public service will be accorded the dignity and respect it deserves, and be made to attract the bright young people it needs. 

We acknowledge there will always be the need for a safety net for the vulnerable in our society, as in all other societies. Our nation will work when the marginalised and vulnerable are catered for and treated with respect.       

Our elderly people will be recognised for their roles in building Ghana and assured of care in the dusk of their lives.

We should all recognise the danger we face by the alarming degradation of our environment and work to protect our water bodies, our forests, our lands and the oceans. We should learn and accept that we do not own the land, but hold it in trust for generations yet unborn and, therefore, have a responsibility to take good care of it and all it contains.

Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah, Osagyefo, said at the end of 1957, the year of our independence: “We shall measure our progress by the happiness which our people take in being able to manage their own affairs.”

Since March 6, 1957, we all say as a matter of routine that we are Ghanaians. It is time to define what being a Ghanaian ought to mean.

Being a Ghanaian must stand for something more than the holder of a birth certificate or a certain passport.

Being a Ghanaian must put certain responsibilities on each one of us.

Calling yourself a Ghanaian must mean you have signed up to a certain definable code and conduct. Being a Ghanaian puts an obligation on each one of us to work at building a fair, prosperous and happy nation.

And calling yourself a Ghanaian must mean we look out for each other.

There should be no higher praise than to be able to say I AM A GHANAIAN.

I thank the Almighty that I am able to say with pride, I am a Ghanaian. A new dawn has arisen in Ghana, which will enable us to build a new Ghanaian civilization which will be the beacon of Africa and the wonder of the world. I thank you all, my fellow citizens, for making me the president of this beautiful country.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and may God bless our homeland Ghana and make her great and strong. And may God bless us all and Mother Africa.

Hannah Tetteh commissions Atwer project

A GHC 72,000.00 multi-purpose project to serve as a community durbar ground and a market for Atwer-Bebiaaniha-Odumase Community in Awutu Senya West District has been inaugurated.

The structure was built by Madam Hannah Serwaa Tetteh the former Member of Parliament for the area, with funding from her share of the Common Fund.

Madam Tetteh thanked people in the district for giving her the chance to represent them at the parliament and rallying behind her to bring development to the area.

She urged them to continue to see themselves as one people to able to sustain the communal spirit they have developed.

Madam Tetteh pledged to respond to their call whenever the need arise, saying “when there is a change of government it does not mean development should came to a halt”.

She urged citizens of Atwer-Bebiaaniha-Odumase to take good care of the facility.

Nana Kweku Asare, Odikro of Atwer, in an address read on his behalf, said they are most grateful to Madam Tetteh for the socio-economic initiatives the area benefited during her tenure.

Later, Madam Tetteh and Nana Asare unveiled a plaque to signify the inauguration of the facility.

Madam Tetteh also cut a tape at the Obrechire CHIP Compound where she spent a total of GHC 63,000.00 to up-grade its status.

'We have no excuse to be poor' - President Akufo Addo

Looking forward into the immediate and distant future, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, at his inauguration on Saturday, saw no reason why Ghana had to be poor.

He appeared at the Black Star Square, the venue for such national events and ceremonies, in regal dressing of very, very rich traditional kente cloth, with symbolic embossment, and traditional ‘ahenemma’ sandals to match.

He exuded confidence and inspired hope, not only to the more than 25 million Ghanaians that he would lead in the next four years, but perhaps in his dealings across the sub-region of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Continent and even beyond.

Whether Ghana or Gold Coast, the name of the nation, the 72 year old economist, renowned lawyer and politician, was about to lead implied gold, wealth, and the President saw no reason why Ghana, which would be celebrating its 60th anniversary of independence in just two months, should have ”any excuse for being poor.”

His living predecessors in the Fourth Republic- Former Presidents Jerry John Rawlings, John Agyekum Kufuor and John Dramani Mahama- were there.

So also were former UN Secretary General Kofi Atta Annan, UN Under-Secretary Mohamed Ibn Chambasas well as Liberian Leader Ellen Johnson, and number of heads of State from Africa and dignitaries from elsewhere were present.

They, together with the milling crowds of people, that swarmed the environs of the Black Star Sqaure, stretching from the Osu Traffic Light, through the Accra International Conference Centre, the vicinity of the Parliament of Ghana and the National Theatre, had come to celebrate the “Change” that the Ghanaian electorate made at the last December presidential and parliamentary elections.
Some had even come to the venue, which was washed with the national colours of red, yellow and green in canopies, and at the outskirts, paraphernalia of mufflers, vuvuzelas handkerchief, designer shirts among others, in the NPP colours of red, blue and white, the night before to participate in the historic event.

President Nana-Akufo Addo led the New Patriotic Party (NPP), to win the elections from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) led by President Mahama in the last December elections.

He thanked ex president Mahama for his "elegant acceptance" of the election results which he says will "receive the approval of history."

"I am humbled by the exceptional mandate and the confidence shown in the NPP and in my person. I will do all in my power to justify that confidence. I will not let you down."

President Akufo-Addo promised to protect the public purse, by insisting on value for money in all transactions, and that state coffers are not the spoils for victorious political parties. I promise to protect the public purse.

He said his administration would provide vision and direction and urged the citizens “to be citizens, not spectators: citizens, not subjects.”

He said: “the change we have voted for has to start with each individual. I ask you to be responsible citizens, adding, “it is time to define what being a Ghanaian ought to mean. Being a Ghanaian must mean you sign up to a definable code of conduct.

President Ouatarra of La Cote d’Ivoire and President Sirleaf Liberia and Chairperson of ECOWAS, praised ex-president John Mahama for conceding defeat in the December 7 polls.

President Ouatarra said the concession of defeat by former President Mahama was show of statesmanship.

For President Sirleaf, she said, "giving the people the freedom and space to choose their own fate is the greatest act of leadership."

The ceremony was an extension of Parliament and newly sworn in Speaker, Professor Aaron Mike Ocquaye invited in the spouses of the President and his Deputy Alhaji Mahamadou Bawumia to greet and congratulate the President and his Vice.

Dignitaries and foreign diplomats who graced the event were also invited to greet and exchange pleasantries with the first two gentlemen and the Chief Justice and their spouses.

US envoy commends Charlotte Osei

Head of the United States’ delegation to Ghana’s Presidential inauguration, Madam Linda Thomas-Greenfield, says Ghana should recognise and honour the extraordinary work of the Electoral Commissioner, Mrs Charlotte Osei.

She told the GNA in an interview that although the Commissioner has come under serious pressure during the electoral process, she had remained strong and ensured a successful and transparent election.

Madam Thomas-Greenfield, US Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of African Affairs, who led a team of election observers to Ghana during the elections and also represented President Barack Obama at the Inauguration of President Akufo-Addo, commended Mrs Osei for fortitude under pressure.

“She was battered by both parties because she was doing the right thing and she stayed strong and stood against tremendous pressure from all sides and I think Ghana ought to commend her” Madam Thomas-Greenfield said.

She said the Commissioner carried what was an almost impossible task of ensuring a free and transparent election, and did it with tremendous professionalism, and thus deserved accolades for her efforts.

“We all pressured her, every single one of us. We all called her: Charlotte, what’s going on? And she stood strong. I think she deserves to be recognised by your country,” she stated.

The Electoral Commissioner was heavily criticised for some of the decisions she took in the build-up to and during the electoral process, but was able to organise and deliver a successful election.

“I think Charlotte did prove everybody wrong. She proved that, not just because she is a woman, but because she is a professional, that she could do the job. I don’t think gender matters in this case. However I do think that we should work harder, to provide opportunities for women to show their stuff at these senior levels” she reiterated.

She said we will soon get to a point where it will have women as President and Vice President, seeing as the country has some amazing professionals and in light of the fact that more and more women were stepping up to positions of authority across Africa.

“I do believe that women rule differently than men, that women are more sensitive to the needs of people. Africa, as we saw with President Sirleaf in Liberia, is ready for another female president.”