The Criminal Investigations Department of the Police Service has invited the National chairman of the Peoples National Convention (PNC), Bernard Mornah, over an alleged threat to resist attempts the compilation of a new voters register by the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana for the conduct of the 2020 elections. …
The General Secretary of the Peoples National Convention (PNC), Atik Mohammed, is demanding the arrest of the party’s National Chairman, Bernard Mornah, for allegedly threatening civil unrest in the country should the voters’ registration exercise being pursued by the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana go as planned. …
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Thursday, 28th May, 2020, presented presidential charters to the Pentecost University College, Accra, and All Nations University College, Koforidua, at a ceremony at Jubilee House, the seat of the nation’s presidency. …
The Parliament of Ghana is insisting that it did not lie about the health status of lawmakers and staff of the Parliamentary Service in relation to the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).
The House still maintains that as at Tuesday, May 26, 2020, it has no knowledge about the test results of some MPs as well as staff of the Parliamentary service.
The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Prof. Aaron Michael Oquaye, had on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, directed all MPs and staff of the Parliamentary Service to undergo a mandatory test of the novel Coronavirus.
The directive was subsequently followed, with Medical Staff in Parliament, making available test materials and apparatus to carry out the exercise from Wednesday, May 20 to Friday May 22, 2020.
A report by www.starrfm.com.gh on Tuesday, May 26, 2020, had stated that two MPs and 13 staff of the legislature had tested positive for the COVID-19 and have been told to self-isolate for some number of days.
Parliament led by the Majority Leader, Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, told reporters at a press conference in response to the news article that Parliament has no knowledge about the test results of the said two MPs and 13 staff of the Parliamentary Service since the entire results from the COVID-19 had not been released to the legislature.
A press release which was subsequently issued by the Public Affairs Directorate, Parliament of Ghana, had maintained the stance of the Majority Leader, and requested www.starrfm.com.gh to pull down the story on the basis that the facts (test results of the COVID-19) were not known the directorate.
However, on Wednesday, May 27, 2020, the Minority Chief Whip, Hon. Mohammed Mubarak-Muntaka, put Parliament in a tight corner when he confirmed in his interview with Joy Prime, that two lawmakers and thirteen staff of the Parliamentary Service had tested positive for the coronavirus and have been isolated while contact tracing had commenced.
The Minority Chief Whip, therefore, wondered why the Director of Public Affairs, Parliament of Ghana, will lie in the said matter as directed by the Majority Leader, Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.
Despite Hon. Muntaka giving credence to the story published by www.starrfm.com.gh, Parliament still insists that its position on the matter has not changed.
A statement issued by the Public Affairs Directorate dated May 27, 2020, in part read “We would like to put on record the Majority Leader is in no way involved with the process of testing. The duty of coordinating the testing process is that of the Medical Directorate in Parliament, who told Parliament specifically that the results of the tests were not yet known by Parliament as at Tuesday, May 26, 2020. To attribute lies to the Public Affairs Department, the Majority Leader and the entire Parliament is therefore unfortunate”.
The statement added “Parliament wants to put on record that it has no particular interest in hiding the results of the tests. Parliament would also like to make specific reference to a news release dated 26/05/2020 signed by the Director of Public Affairs which requested the media house to pull the story down on the basis that the facts were not true since they were not known to the directorate and would like to state that this assertion does not mean that the House denied the possibility of anyone testing positive for COVID-19. It therefore, is rather that this was interpreted to mean a denial of a possible positive test result, leading to media reports that Parliament lied. We wish to state that categorically that the Majority Leader is the leader of the House and performs his duties as such. He does not deal with the day to day running of the various departments of the institution and could not have told the Director of Public Affairs to lie either on his behalf or on that of the institution”.
Despite receiving some financial help from the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Stabilization Fund of the country amounting to US$1.569billion, Ghana still needs GH₵17.9billion to address its fiscal gap as a result of the impact of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta has revealed. …
Ellembelle and Evalue Ajomoro Gwira are two different constituencies on Nzema land but share a common border.
The political heads, thus the Member of Parliament, occupying these two seats are from two different political parties.
While Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah is from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and representing the people of Ellembelle, Mrs. Catherine Abelema Afeku’s political lineage is that of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and represents the people of Evalue Ajomoro Gwira.
Surprisingly, both entered Parliament on January 7, 2009 the same day then candidate John Evans Atta-Mills was sworn into office as the third President of the land of the 4th Republic.
However, Mrs. Afeku lost her seat to Tanekyi Kessei from the NDC in the 2012 Parliamentary polls, a defeat many have attributed to the influence of Mr. Buah who was then Deputy Minister of Energy and so had enough resources to influence decision in his constituency and that of Evalue Ajomoro Gwira.
Despite the huge support Kessei enjoyed from the NDC which retained power in 2012, and that of Mr. Buah who later on became the Minister of Petroleum in John Mahama’s administration, the NDC MP could not do much to retain the seat for the umbrella family.
Apparently, his track record could not match that left behind by Mrs. Afeku.
Kessei, having disappointed the people of Evalue Ajomoro Gwira and with a fierce and aggressive campaign initiated by Mrs. Afeku during the 2016 electioneering campaign, the people of Evalue Ajomoro Gwira had very little problem to settle on the daughter from the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition, after assessing the qualities and handiworks of the two.
That same year, the NPP which had Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as its presidential candidate also defeated the NDC’s John Dramani Mahama, to take over the reins of power.
With Akufo-Addo in the driving seat, and one of his favorite women in the party, Mrs. Afeku, as MP for Evalue Ajomoro Gwira, one could expect nothing but massive developmental projects that will improve on the living standards of the people of the area and beyond.
To consolidate her gains, Akufo-Addo appointed Mrs. Afeku as the substantive Minister of Tourism and Creative Arts and later Minister of State at the Office of the Senior Minister.
With a little resource under her sleeves coupled with her lobbying prowess, Mrs. Afeku’s three and half years in Parliament has been a blessing onto her people.
She has within the period initiated unprecedented developmental projects for her people that has become a torn in the flesh of Mr. Armah-Kofi Buah.
Prominent among these projects are: Axim Sea Defense Wall, Axim Mini Harbour, Axim Victoria Park Ceremonial Grounds, massive Gwira roads construction, construction of schools, CHPS compounds, the provision of potable drinking water, a DVLA Office Complex at Aiyisakro, Gwira Cocoa District, a Sports Stadium at Axim and skills development initiative for 500 young people.
All these projects have not only created direct and indirect jobs for the people of Evalue Ajomoro Gwira but have also opened the constituency up for business. These projects have become the game changer in Nzema land with many pleading with Hon. Afeku to extend her growing influence to help other Nzema constituencies to grow.
With the DVLA Office Complex and the Sports Stadium, many people in Nzema land, especially, those in Ellembelle, have started questioning their MP why he failed to lobby for those projects to his area when the NDC was in power, more especially, when he was very close to the then President, John Dramani Mahama.
Some electorates in Ellembelle, believe that Hon. Buah’s influence in Nzema politics has waned. The pundits believe that the star to watch now is the dynamic Hon. Catherine Abelema Afeku.
In Evalue Ajomoro Gwira, the talk in town is to massively endorse Hon. Catherine Afeku’s re-election bid as their representative in Parliament since they’ve believe that a woman in leadership position is more beneficial to their course than all the men they’ve tried and tested.
Hon. Buah in response in an audio which has since gone viral alleged that the DVLA Office Complex and the Sports Stadium were his projects which were taken away from him by Hon. Afeku.
The Evalue Ajomoro Gwira Communications Directorate of the NPP which is least enthused about the comments of Hon. Buah, has questioned the basis under which the Ellembelle lawmaker made that remark.
In a joint statement signed by Obeng Darko and Ernest Kwame Asabil, the Evalue Ajomoro Gwira NPP said “did it occur to the NDC to develop sports infrastructure in Nzemaland? When Hon. Afriyie Ankrah was buying coconuts in Brazil, was he thinking of a sports stadium in Nzema? We want to ask Hon. Buah if he even knew the name of the DVLA CEO in their eight years rule”.
They added “it is totally unfortunate for Hon. Buah to be hiding behind these propaganda statements to defend his already sinking political fortune in Ellembelle constituency. We wish to call on Hon. Buah to provide us with concrete evidence that shows that Hon. Catherine Afeku took these projects away from him or remain silent and wait for his exit in December 2020”.
Many in Nzemaland believe that with Hon. Afeku’s growing influence, she could help the Municipal Chief Executive of Ellembelle, Kwesi Bonzo, who is the NPP Parliamentary candidate for the area to unseat Hon. Buah.
The Human Rights Division of the Accra High Court presided over by Justice Gifty Agyei Addo has dismissed an application by the Bank of Ghana (BoG) seeking to halt proceedings in a case initiated against it by HODA Holdings.
The BoG was challenging the decision of the High Court that dismissed their claim earlier that the High Court lacked jurisdiction to hear the action instituted by HODA Holdings, challenging the revocation of the license of one of its subsidiary companies, Unicredit Savings and loans.
The dismissal of this application has paved the way For the hearing of the substantive case filed by HODA Holdings.
The court in view of that has directed the BoG who are yet to file their statement of case and response to the substantive matter 14 days to file.
Kasapa FM’s Court Correspondent Muntalla Inusah reports that hearing of the substantive case has been adjourned to June 23, 2020.
In the ruling of the court on Tuesday, it said the application is dismissed because the applicant (BoG) has not demonstrated the irreparable damage it will suffer should the respondent (applicant) HODA Holdings succeeds.
Subject matter
It would be recalled that in October last year the High Court dismissed an application by lawyer of the BoG, Frank Davies, seeking to strike out a case filed by UniCredit challenging the revocation of its license.
The High Court in its ruling indicated that its jurisdiction has been properly invoked in the matter and subsequently ordered the Bank of Ghana, to file a response to the application brought by the owners of Unicredit Savings and loans.
The Court also awarded a cost of GH¢3000 against the Bank of Ghana to be paid to Unicredit savings and loans and another GH¢2,000.00.
Bank of Ghana being dissatisfied with the ruling of the High Court proceeded upstairs to the Court of Appeal to quash the High Court ruling because the central bank believes the matter should have been handled at an arbitration level before proceeding to court.
Background
The mother company of Unicredit Savings and Loans Company – Hoda Holdings Limited in August 2019 sued Dr Ernest Addison and the Bank of Ghana for revoking the license of the company.
In the company’s affidavit filed at the Human Rights Division of the High Court, HODA Holdings said its funds of over GHS 54 million were locked up with Unibank before it was forced to cease operations by the central bank in 2018 and it has since been trying to retrieve it.
Hoda Holdings wants “An Order of Certiorari directed at the 1st and 2nd Respondents to bring up to this Honourable Court for the purpose of being Quashed the Notice Dated the 15th day of August 2019 declaring Unicredit Ghana Limited insolvent and revoking the license of Unicredit Ghana Limited to operate as a Specialized Deposit-taking Institution.
An Order of Interlocutory Injunction restraining the Respondents, their agents, assigns, privies hirelings or otherwise howsoever described from interfering with the Operations of Unicredit Ghana Limited and to refer the Subject matter of the Instant Application to Arbitration.”
Source: Kasapafmonline.com
The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Prof. Aaron Michael Oquaye, says it is mandatory for all the 275 lawmakers and staff of the Parliamentary Service as well as members of the Parliamentary Press Corps to avail themselves for the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) test.
Anyone who fails to avail himself or herself for the COVID-19 test, according to the Speaker, will be sanctioned.
He has therefore urged all those working in Parliament as well as the lawmakers not to wait till the House gets to the stage of applying sanctions before they would avail themselves for the COVID-19 test.
The directive by the Speaker follows suspicion that some MPs and staff of the Parliamentary Service have tested positive for the virus during the voluntary testing exercise carried out last week.
Addressing Members at the plenary on Tuesday, May 26, 2020, the Speaker implored on all to take the matter very serious, stressing that the test will be carried out from Thursday, May 28 to Friday, May 29, 2020.
“It is mandatory for every Member of Parliament, for every staff of Parliament, to test for COVID-19. The press corps must also submit themselves to test for COVID-19. Hon. Members, further to the test, it is imperative to inform you that we should take this matter very seriously. In this connection, on Thursday and on Friday, the team has been recalled by Parliament to come right here to test Members, staff, media etc. Please, the decision is that in our collective interest, it is mandatorily. Please don’t wait till we get to the stage of applying sanctions. Elaborate measures are being taken to ensure the observation of all appropriate protocols in the light of results. Absolute confidentiality and professionalism in handling all cases negative and positive”, he noted.
The Builsa South District Assembly has indefinitely shut down the Fumbisi market to the public. Similarly, all food vendors and drinking bar operators have also been directed to shut down their operations. …
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has begun showing signs of participating in the compilation of a new voters register for the conduct of the 2020 general elections by the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana. …
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Friday, May 22, 2020, swore into office Justice Tanko Amadu.
At the swearing-in ceremony, President Akufo-Addo stated that this is the first time in the nation’s history that a Muslim has been appointed to the highest court of the land, adding that “I am delighted to have been the President to have the honour of doing so, and to do so appropriately in this Holy Month of Ramadan.”
Having worked as a lawyer in the great Federal Republic of Nigeria for nineteen (19) years, and going on to found his own firm in 1997, Justice Tanko Amadu was appointed to the High Court in 2008, and, four (4) years later, was promoted to the Court of Appeal, the President stated that, by dint of hard work and merit, he has been further elevated.
With the Constitution of the Republic affirming that final judicial power in the State is vested solely in the Judiciary, and not in any other agency or organ of the State, the President noted that the Judiciary has onerous responsibilities to protect the individual liberties and fundamental human rights of citizens, to act as the arbiter in disputes between the State and the citizen, to act as the arbiter in disputes between citizens and all persons, and to serve as the bulwark for the defence and promotion of the liberties and rights of the people.
“With all other Courts bound to follow the decisions of the Supreme Court on questions of law, it is obviously critical that Justices of the Supreme Court possess a sound knowledge of the law, and of precedent, the principle of stare decisis,” he added.
The President added that the situation where judges proffer judgements on the basis of decisions from lower courts and cite them as law, is not acceptable, and even less so, when judges cite no authority at all for their rulings, and give orders without reasons.
“Judges, more so Justices of the Supreme Court, must be learned, know their case law and ensure their decisions and judgements are properly motivated. It is in this manner that judges contribute to the orderly development of the nation,” the President said.
President Akufo-Addo noted that all Ghanaians, with their different views and their different perspectives, must work together for the realisation of the Ghana project – a united Ghana, driven by considerations of social justice and solidarity, and governed according to the rule of law, respect for individual liberties, human rights and the principles of democratic accountability.
“In these not so normal times, the era of the Coronavirus pandemic, in which we find ourselves, we must hold on firmly to these values, and work, within the confines of an open society, towards the defeat of the virus,” he added.
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Friday, 22nd May 2020, swore into office, Justice Clemence Jackson Honyenuga, at Jubilee House, the seat of the nation’s presidency.
In doing so, President Akufo-Addo noted that he had met the stringent requirements of Article 128 clause (4) of the Constitution, and has demonstrated the independence of spirit, proven integrity, high moral character, and impartiality of mind to hold this high office.
According to the President, “your track record, over the last thirty-nine (39) years, speaks for itself – Assistant State Attorney, private legal practitioner, Judge Advocate of the Ghana Navy, Justice of the High Court, Additional High Court Judge sitting on civil matters, narcotics, robbery, and other violent crimes, Director of the Remand Prisoners Project, and long-serving Justice of the Court of Appeal.”
He continued, “Your appointment to the highest court of the land is, thus, truly well-deserved and merited. The post-1966 Supreme Court has developed a positive reputation for the quality of its constitutional jurisprudence, and I am hopeful that you, who have already had good experience of high judicial office in the Court of Appeal, will help strengthen the development of our nation’s constitutional and other jurisprudence in the Supreme Court.
President Akufo-Addo urged Justice Honyenuga to make sure that when anyone falls foul of the law, the law enforcement agencies, including the Judiciary, must ensure the person is dealt with in accordance with law.
That, he explained, is the true meaning of the concept of equality before the law.
