Spio-Garbrah On His Age And The Presidency

Former flagbearer aspirant of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, will, for now, not answer direct questions about whether or not he will run for president in 2020 but he has been speaking about his age and the presidency.

The former Minister of Trade and Industry is currently 63 years old. He will be 67 in four years’ time.

In the following interview with Accra-based Citi FM’s Richard Dela Sky on the Point Blank segment of Eyewitness News on Monday, 3 April, Mr Spio-Garbrah, who was dodgy about his presidential ambition, said the age card may not be to his disadvantage if he decides to run.

Sky: Some people made age a big issue in the last election and in the previous elections it was a big matter; 2020,if you ever decide to contest will you not be too old to run for president?

Spio: If you are talking about age, then I think people will want to see ‘what is the average age of a president in Africa or a president around the world?’

Sky: I’m talking about you

Spio: No don’t talks about me, you are talking about age because there will be other people who may be older than me who are also listening and you are trying to disqualify them because they are 68 or 70.

Sky: But in this case, I’m talking about you

Spio: I’m 63 and I’m saying that if somebody is 65…

Sky: In three years, you’ll be 66, would you not be too old to run for president, at least that’s how some people will think?

Spio: Some people will think that a person who is 66 will be too old to run for president, there’ll be people who’ll think that way, there will be others who will say: ‘oh but we just had a 73-year-old man become president of Ghana. And we also have a 70-year-old man as president of the United States and the average age of more than 25 African heads of states is over 70 so maybe 65, 70, 75 may not be that old. President Mandela was in his 70s and 80s as president but if the people of Ghana want a 45-year-old president, that’s what they will get, if they want a 55-year-old president, if they are judging the person purely on his age, chronological age, not his expertise, his experience, his knowledge, his wisdom, his capacity, his competencies, and where he has been, what he has learnt, and what he can contribute to the country, then fine. Some people will make their judgment based on that, others will make a judgment based on some of the factors I’ve mentioned, so, that’s how elections are lost and won; it’s up to whoever becomes the candidate of either NDC or NPP to go out and sell themselves because president Akufo-Addo will be …

Sky: But what would you sell about a 66-year-old Spio-Garbrah?

Spio: I don’t know if President Akufo-Addo will want to go for a second term but if he does then he will be 77, 77-whatever he is, and he will be selling himself and he would expect people to ignore his age, I suppose, and still listen to what he is saying, so, anybody who is in his 60s or 50s will not have to worry when you have a 77-year-old competitor.

CODEC Urges Ayariga To Appeal Against Verdict

Coalition for the Defence of Equal Citizenship (CODEC) has urged the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central, Mr Mahama Ayariga, to appeal against the verdict arrived at by the committee set up to investigate the alleged bribery of Minority MPs on the Appointments Committee of Parliament.

According to the coalition, such a move was necessary to support the agenda of strengthening institutions of governance in the country and creating a just society devoid of corruption.

In a statement, CODEC said it believed that the most appropriate institution to have investigated the allegation which bordered on corruption was the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), considering the obvious limited resources and self-imposed restrictions of Parliament.

It said its position, as established by legal principles, was that it was unfair on the part of the committee set up by the Speaker of Parliament not to have included in its ruling the evidence provided by the CCTV footage, with the excuse that it would expose the inner workings of Parliament and pose a security risk, when the committee did not shy away from applying the criminal standard of proof in reaching its verdict.

CODEC said while it commended Parliament for its investigations, “the attempt made by Parliament stopped short of delivering an impeccable verdict in the interest of justice and national development”.

It applauded Mr Ayariga, Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa and Mr Alhassan Suhuyini, sitting MPs, for mustering courage and ignoring the vilification and insults to bring the alleged act to the notice of the House and the nation.

Personal liberties

The statement said it was common knowledge that criminal cases tended to have a debilitating impact on accused persons and it was trite law that the personal liberties of accused persons could not be sacrificed in the name of national security.

It said in criminal cases, evidence could not be excluded solely on account of safeguarding national security.

According to CODEC, in Clause 83 of the committee’s report, it stated that “there were no accused persons before us, neither were there plaintiffs or defendants. All accused persons who appeared before the committee or submitted memoranda were witnesses assisting the committee to ascertain the truth or otherwise of the allegations”, yet it turned around and effected a conviction.

It was of the view that simply finding that there was no evidence to prove the bribery allegation against Mr Agyarko was enough and that the committee should have stopped there, not go on to convict Mr Ayariga.

It said to convict Mr Ayariga for contempt, without giving him a chance to cross examine those involved, did not augur well for the future of the country and made the quest for justice a very slippery slope.

Equalisation

Furthermore, it was of the belief that the committee did not delve deeply into the conflicting evidence presented by the Chairman of the Appointments Committee when he alleged that Mr Ayariga had told him that the bribery story had been concocted as an equalisation measure.

It said when the chairman subsequently said it was Mr Ablakwa who had told him the story had been concocted for equalisation purposes, the committee should have weighed all that carefully.

Your Programmes And Policies Only Favour The Rich – Ato Forson To NPP

Former Deputy Minister of Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, has said programmes and policies of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government are geared towards further enriching the wealthy while rendering the poor poorer.

According to him, this is seen in the recent reduction in air fares while road transport fares have increased.

Parliament, last Friday, passed the Appropriation Bill, which saw parliament scrap the 17.5 per cent VAT on domestic air tickets.

Meanwhile, road transport fares will see a 15% increase across the country, beginning Thursday April 6, 2017, the Road Transport Operators has announced.

In a release dated Monday April 3, 2017, the group said: “In line with the Administrative Instrument on public transport fares, the Road Transport Operators have reviewed the prices of the various elements that go into running of commercial transport services and have increased transport fares by 15%. The Road Transport Operators have therefore issued new road transport fares.

Speaking in interview with Chief Jerry Forson, host of Ghana Yensom, on Accra100.5FM on Tuesday April 4, Mr Forson, said: “I told Ghanaians not to be deceived by what the NPP said about the tax cut because that decision was populist and deceptive, that even if they scrapped those taxes, it would not bring any result to Ghanaians.

“The taxes on spare parts they claimed they will remove, they have not been able to do so. If you are not ready to remove the taxes, why do you hastily announce to Ghanaians that you are going to implement that policy?

“Now they have reduced air fares and increased [road] transport fares. Ask yourselves how many ordinary Ghanaians travel by air. And so what have you done? You have not done anything? I think their priorities are wrong, their kind of economics is economics for the rich – enriching the rich and making the poor poorer. So where are we now as a country, is this the kind of change Ghanaians wanted?"

Akufo-Addo Lied To Otumfuo - Former Obuasi MCE

The President was making a “fool” of the King of Asante, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II when he assured the King that government will not countenance lawlessness and indiscipline acts involving members of Delta Force, a private security wing of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who recently assaulted the Ashanti Regional security coordinator, George Agyei.

Former Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Obuasi and the defeated National Democratic Congress parliamentary candidate for the constituency, Akwasi Agyemang Boadi observed that the assurance from the President to the King was just a lip-service because President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo does not intent to walk-his-talk.

“Do you know that President Akufo Addo said during the state of the nation address never will lawlessness happen under his presidency when NPP thugs were attacking state institutions immediately they took power from us”

“Who is the President fooling? Me or the King? He is just fooling wise Ghanaians who are supposed to get protection under his government. I do not believe what the King believed the assurance from the President a bit “the former MCE popularly called Zuba said on Kumasi-based Ultimate Fm.

The President over the weekend during his visit to Kumasi assured Otumfuo Osei Tutu II of his resolve to deal with lawlessness and condemned the assault of the regional security coordinator while assuring the people that security agencies have been tasked to arrest and prosecute persons even within NPP who will go contrary to the law.

The NDC Communicator stated that what is happening currently under the presidency of President Akufo-Addo even did not happen in the history of the country’s military regime.

“Have you ever heard under military regime of this country where thugs went to attack security officer at seat of government before or thugs assaulting security coordinator like that of Delta Force and Mr. George Agyei. And nothing has been done about it. Did it happen?”

Akwasi Agyemang Boadi therefore said he and other NDC will resort to God or deities to protect themselves as they do not trust state security agencies any longer.

JDM Should Not Contest Election 2020 - Ephson

Pollster and Managing Editor of the Daily Dispatch, Ben Ephson has said former President John Mahama will be engaging in an exercise in futility if he decides to lead the NDC party Election 2020.

He said given the current strife in the NDC and the likely worsening of the situation, the ex leader is sure to lead the party into that crucial polls with a fragmented front.

The NDC lost the 2016 elections to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) led by the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Akufo-Addo beat the incumbent John Mahama with nearly a million votes to win the presidency with the NPP also having almost an absolute majority in parliament after snatching a large number of seats from the NDC.

Even as the Prof. Kwesi Botchway Committee investigating what led to the party's shameful defeat continues with its work, members of the NDC have in the past few days traded accusations against each other.

While some leading members have accused the former President, John Mahama of leading the party into ditch, others believe the stashing of campaign cash by some senior party officers caused the defeat.

Speaking to Kasapa News Mr. Ephson stated that he'll be very surprised should the ex president stage a comeback to lead the NDC that is going to worsen in the period ahead, it's a taking a horse which is sick is used for another racing contest. If he comes back as the Flagbearer, he's going to go into election 2020 with a weakened and disunited party. Should he decide to stage a comeback to lead the party I'II be very surprised. It's very unlikely he'II come back.

Ayariga: "I Don’t Know If The Speaker Accepted My Apology Or Not"

Mahama Ayariga has come under serious criticisms after he rendered an apology many have described as ‘insincere’.

The Member of Parliament for Bawku Central was asked to apologise after he was found to be in contempt of the house.

He had alleged that the Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Joseph Osei-Owusu, through the minority chief whip, Muntaka Mubarak, had tried to bribe minority members of the committee, but which he was not able to prove before an ad hoc committee set up to investigate the matter.

Per the recommendations of the committee, Mahama Ayariga was supposed to “render an unqualified apology to the House, purging himself of contempt’.

After several protestations, the former Sports Minister stated that “Mr. Speaker if you say I should apologise, I apologise.” This apology has however not been accepted by the majority in Parliament as well as some political pundits.

Speaking in an interview on Saturday during Newsfile programme on Joy News channel, Mahama Ayariga saw nothing wrong with his style of apology.

According to him, he was asked to apologise and so he did.

“There was a decision by parliament that I should apologise so I apologised…I apologised but I don’t know if the speaker accepted it or not…“…the recommendations of the committee became the decision of the House and as a respectful member of the House, I then said… since you have already put the question and it has been voted and the decision has been voted and the decision has been taken that I should render an apology, I have to show respect to the 274 members sitting so if you say I should apologize, I hereby apologize.” .

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana

Hackman Owusu-Agyeman Sworn In As COCOBOD Chair

President Nana Akufo-Addo has sworn in former Minister of Water, Works and Housing under the erstwhile Kufuor administration, Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, as Board Chairman of the Ghana Cocoa Board.

Other members who were appointed to serve on the Board including Kwame Sarpong, Carlos Ahenkorah, Nana Johnson Mensah, among others, were also sworn in today [Tuesday].

Mr. Owusu-Agyemang takes over from the immediate-past Board Chairman of COCOBOD, Daniel Ohene Agyekum, who served as Ashanti Regional Minister and Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States of America under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.

The swearing ceremony comes weeks after a probe into the activities of the former Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD, Dr. Stephen Frimpong over corruption allegations.

Dr. Opuni was on January 12, 2017, asked to leave office shortly after the new NPP government was inaugurated.

As a former CEO of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Dr. Stephen K. Opuni was appointed by former President John Mahama on November 30, 2013, to head the COCOBOD.

He replaced Anthony Fofie, who headed COCOBOD from 2009.

Swearing in the new appointees, President Nana Addo indicated that, cocoa has been Ghana’s “flagship commodity on the international scale and a source of good livelihood for several generations of Ghanaian farmers”, but was quick to add that interest in cocoa farming has “waned in recent years” due to several factors including illegal mining.

The President however declared government’s commitment to reviving the cocoa industry by increasing production.

“The government and I have made a commitment to raising production levels of cocoa to at least 1 million tonnes, and to process more than 50 percent of our cocoa beans. We have committed ourselves to finding new markets and improving our cocoa value chain. We are determined to make it a lucrative industry again. We are going to need your cooperation and full involvement.”

Source: citifmonline.com