"WE SUPPORT YOU FULLY” – DAMBAI CHIEFS TO AKUFO-ADDO

“On behalf of the Chiefs of Dambai, I want to welcome you to Dambai, in Krachi East. The Chiefs of Dambai have been supporters of the Danquah-Dombo-Busia political tradition over years. The hope and love we have for the NPP is special. We want to tell him (Akufo-Addo) that all the Chiefs of Dambai are in full support of his candidature.”

These were the words of Nana Odam Gyamfi III, Paramount Chief of Akroso Asukawkaw Traditional Area, at a durbar held in honour of the 2016 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Akufo-Addo, when he toured the Krachi East constituency, on Tuesday, October 25, 2016.

According to the Dambai Chief, “all the Chiefs from Dambai to Asukawkaw support NPP. If some people have tagged us as being NPP sympathisers, then we might as well officially declare our stance and support for the party.”

Outlining the needs of his the people of Krachi East, Nana Odam Gyamfi III appealed to the NPP flagbearer, when he wins this year’s elections, to construct a District Hospital for Dambai, explaining that because of their perceived support for the NPP, they have been left out of the construction of the hospital.

“Again, parents are suffering. They can no longer afford to pay the fees of their wards, especially of those who have gained admission into nursing and teacher training institutions, because of the cancellation of the allowances. Nana, when you get into Jubilee House, please restore these allowances. When you do, I can assure that the NPP will be in office for a long time,” he stressed.

Just like the scenario presented to the NPP flagbearer in Biakoye, Nana Odam Gyamfi III lamented about the cessation of compensation payments to residents of Dambai, who as a result of the construction of the Volta Lake have lost their lands.  

The compensation, according to the Dambai Chief, was halted by President Mahama.

“NPP began the payments of the compensation to us. The late President Mills continued the payments, but, under President Mahama, it has stopped. We are appealing to you to, please, restore these payments to us when you get into office,” he said.

In concluding, Nana Odam Gyamfi III assured Nana Akufo-Addo that “we are confident that change is coming. Your victory has already been sealed in Heaven. We pray for God’s strength, wisdom and guidance for you.”

On his part, Nana Akufo-Addo thanked the Chiefs and people of Dambai for the warm welcome they have afforded him on his visit to the constituency.

According to Nana Akufo-Addo, it was under President Kufuor’s tenure of office that the contract for the construction of the Dambai-Asukawkaw and Dambai town roads was awarded. The contract, the NPP flagbearer explained, comprised the construction of the 63 kilometre Dambai-Asukawkaw road, and 7 kiliometre Dambai town roads.

“With one mobilization, the contractor was to have constructed all these roads. However, President Mahama has taken out the construction of the Dambai town roads out of the original contract. When I come into office, I am going to continue what Kufuor started and construct the Dambai town roads,” he assured.

He continued, “Again, it was President Kufuor who began the payment compensation to residents whose lands were submerged as a result of the construction of the Volta Lake. President Mahama has cancelled it. I want to assure you that when I come into office, I am coming to continue Kufuor’s policy of paying compensation to affected residents.”

Nana Akufo-Addo, thus, appealed for the unalloyed and unflinching support of the people of Dambai and Krachi East, stressing that “I am coming into office to use the little wisdom and knowledge God has given me to do a job for all Ghanaians, without discrimination.”

He also urged them to vote for the NPP’s parliamentary candidate for Krachi East, Michael Yaw Gyato, who was once a former District Chief Executive for Krachi East under President Kufuor.                      

I WILL BE A MOTHER FOR ALL NOT SOME.....TINA NAA AYELE MENSAH ASSURES WEIJA GBAWE CONSTITUENTS

The Parliamentary Candidate for  New Patriotic Party (N.P.P) in the Weija Gbawe contituency,Tina Naa Ayeley Mensah who is affectionately called "the peoples mother" because of her selfless and dedicated quest to see to the improved welfare of all the people she comes into contact with, has promised to become a mother not only for N.P.P supporters in the constituency when elected as Member of Parliament on December 7th,but will become a mother to every single inhabitant in the constituency.Tina Naa Ayeley Mensah who is highly tipped by various political research groups and Think Tanks like painoleak.blogspot.com  to win this year's election by a wider margin as against what was pulled up by her immediate predecessor Rosemond Abrah against their main contender,who is the ndc's Obuobia Opoku Darko has asked all N.P.P party faithfuls in the Weija Gbawe constituency to come out in their numbers and vote massively for her and the 2016 Flag bearer Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo in the December polls.Speaking  at a recently held N.P.P constituency Forum at Mendskrom (opposite Macarthyhill) on sunday 23rd october,2016,madamTina Naa Ayeley Mensah stressed the need for all party polling station and constituency executives as well  well wishers to be extra vigilant on the day of voting to avert any orchestrated schemes by any untoward persons to mar the outcome of the polls through rigging and other electoral offenses.In the last election the difference between the N.P.P's parliamentary candidate and that of the Ndc was 5692 as the NPP's candidate had 32,861 representing 53.59% against the Ndc's 26869,representing 43.87%.The race has become rather interesting because many other people our reporter spoke with who had Ndc ties have all vowed to vote for Tina Naa Ayeley Mensah because they said they found a diligent,dedicated,humble,affable and respectable persona in her and would want to work with her as their new Member of Parliament.A host of the constituents who came from Weiboman were extremely grateful to madam Tina for heeding to their call by constructing a new bridge for them when their main bridge collapsed.They were very optimistic that a positive change was going to come their way with Tina Naa Ayeley Mensah as their M.P. Our further investigations showed that,even though limited in  terms of resources,Madam Tina Naa Ayeley Mensah had managed to raise some funds to facilitate a group of projects in her constituency.Some of these projects included the provision of mathematical sets for final year J.H.S students in various schools the constituency during their final exams,the provision of sand,stones,cement and other materials for the construction of cut out bridges at parts of Mallam,Gravel junction and many other locations within the constituency.............story by Patricia Agyemang

THE MAN NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFFO ADDO

-Addo was born and raised in Ga-Maami (Accra Central) and in the Nima area of Accra . His father’s residence, Betty House at Korle Wokon in Accra, was effectively the headquarters of the country’s first political party, the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC), after it was formed at
Saltpond on 4 August 1947. Three of the " Big Six " – the founding fathers of Ghana – were his relatives: J. B. Danquah (grand uncle), William Ofori-Atta (uncle) and Edward Akufo-Addo (the third Chief Justice of Ghana and later ceremonial President of the Republic from 1969 to 1972), (his father).

Akufo-Addo received his primary education first at the Government Boys School, Adabraka, and later at the Rowe Road School (now Kimbu), both in Accra Central. He went to England to study for his O-Level and A-Level examinations at Lancing College , Sussex. He returned to Ghana in 1962 to teach at Accra Academy Secondary School, before going to read Economics at the University of Ghana, Legon, in 1964, earning a BSc(Econ) degree in 1967. He subsequently studied law in the UK and was called to the English Bar ( Middle Temple ) in July 1971. Akufo-Addo was called to the Ghana bar in July 1975.

Legal and business career
Akufo-Addo stayed in France for five years as a lawyer at the now-defunct New York-based international law firm Coudert Brothers .

 Apart from the welcome exposure to the dynamics of international corporate transactions, his stay in France also made him fluent in French.

In 1975, he returned home to Accra to continue with his legal career. He joined the chambers of U. V. Campbell from 1975 to 1979, and in 1979 co-founded the law firm Akufo-Addo, Prempeh & Co., which has become one of the prominent law firms in Ghana.

 Some Ghanaian lawyers who passed through his law firm are among the most outstanding lawyers at the Ghanaian bar today. They include Sophia Akuffo , Justice of the Supreme Court; Joyce Darko; Daniel Afari Yeboah; Philip Addison; Joe Ghartey , a former Attorney General and Minister for Justice; Alex Quaynor; Frank Davies; Kweku Paintsil; Ursula Owusu; Atta Akyea, Akufo-Addo’s successor as MP for Abuakwa South constituency; Akoto Ampaw; Yoni Kulendi; Kwame Akuffo; Kwaku Asirifi; and Godfred Dame.

Like the "Doyen of Gold Coast politics", J. B. Danquah, and others before him, Akufo-Addo used his law practice to champion the cause of human rights, rule of law, justice, freedom, and democracy. He was well known for giving free legal assistance to the poor and fought for the rights and liberties of the Ghanaian people. Indeed, many of the important constitutional cases of the modern era, which, inter alia, protected the independence of the judiciary, the right of the citizen to demonstrate without police permit, and the right of equal access of all political parties to the State-owned media, were undertaken by him.

Akufo-Addo has served on the boards and committees of a number of political, legal, commercial, and social organizations in the country. He was the first Chairperson of DHL (GH) Ltd;

 Chairperson, Kinesec Communications (Co) Ltd, publishers of The Statesman; and the first Chairperson of the Ghana Committee on Human and Peoples' Rights. He was responsible, through his association with the US company, Millicom, for introducing mobile telephony into the country.

Political career
In his early thirties, Akufo-Addo was the General Secretary of the broad-based People’s Movement for Freedom and Justice (PMFJ), which was composed of political stalwarts such as Akwasi Amankwa Afrifa, William Ofori-Atta,
Komla Agbeli Gbedemah , Albert Adu Boahen ,
Sam Okudzeto , Obed Asamoah , Godfrey Agama, K. S. P. Jantuah, Jones Ofori-Atta, Johnny Hanson and Nii Amaah Amartefio ("Mr. No"). This group led the "NO" campaign in the UNIGOV referendum of 1978, designed to solicit popular support for a one to arty military-led State. The “No” campaign ultimately brought about the downfall of the Acheampong military government on 5 July 1978, and the restoration of multiparty democratic rule to the country in 1979. Akufo-Addo had to go briefly into exile after the referendum, when his life was in danger. But, from Europe, he could be heard constantly on the BBC World Service , vigorously criticising the military rulers back in Ghana and calling for a return to democracy. He is acknowledged as one of the leaders of the pro-democracy movement in Ghana.

In 1991, Akufo-Addo was the chairman of the Organising Committee of the Danquah-Busia Memorial Club, a club dedicated to the preservation of the memory and ideals of the two great advocates of Ghanaian democracy, J. B.
 Danquah and K. A. Busia , Prime Minister of the Progress Party government of the 2nd Republic of Ghana. Akufo-Addo travelled throughout Ghana to establish branches of the Club all over the country in the grassroots style for which he is known.

 These branches eventually transformed into local organs of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) prior to the elections of 1992, which heralded the reintroduction of democratic governance under the 4th Republic.

In 1992, he was the first national organiser of the NPP and, later that year, campaign manager of the party's first presidential candidate, Prof. Albert Adu Boahen, the man of courage who broke the “culture of silence” in Ghana, and played such a crucial role in the reintroduction of democracy.

In 1992, Akufo-Addo set up and financed The Statesman newspaper, which has become the unofficial mouthpiece of the NPP.
In 1995, he led the famous "Kume Preko" demonstrations of the Alliance For Change (AFC), a broad-based political pressure group, which mobilised millions of people onto the streets of Ghana to protest the harsh economic conditions of the Rawlings era. Some pundits in Ghana believe that this was instrumental in re-establishing the NPP as a more formidable force after Professor Adu Boahen.

Akufo-Addo was elected three times between 1996 and 2008 as Member of Parliament for the Abuakwa South constituency in the Eastern region of Ghana. From 2001 to 2007, as Cabinet Minister, first as Attorney-General and Minister for Justice for two years, and later as Foreign Minister for five years, Akufo-Addo served in the government of President John Kufuor with distinction.

As Attorney-General, he was responsible for the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law, which, hitherto, had been used to intimidate the media and criminalise free speech. The repeal has enabled the Ghanaian media become one of the most vibrant and freest in Africa. Under his chairmanship of the Legal Sector Reform Committee, the implementation of the court automation programme was initiated.

As Foreign Minister, he was fully involved in the successful Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) peace efforts in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, and Guinea Bissau, and was chairman of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council in 2003.

In 2004, Ghana was elected one of the 15 pioneer members of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council, a mandate that was renewed at the AU Summit in Khartoum in January 2006. Akufo-Addo was chosen by his peers on the AU Executive Council to chair the Ministerial Committee of 15 that fashioned the Ezulwini Consensus, which defined the African Union’s common position on UN Reforms. He negotiated for the 2007 AU Summit to be held in Accra as part of Ghana’s Golden Jubilee celebrations, and chaired the AU Executive Council in 2007.

Ghana was elected by her peers to take the non-permanent West African seat on the UN Security Council for 2006-07. In August 2006, Akufo-Addo chaired the meeting of the Security Council which took the decision that halted Israel’s massive incursions into Lebanon. Again, Ghana was elected to the new UN body, the Human Rights Council, with the highest number of votes—183 out of 191—of any country, and as a pioneer member of another UN body, the Peacebuilding Commission.

Presidential bids
In October 1998, Nana Akufo-Addo competed for the presidential candidacy of the NPP and lost to John Kufuor, the man who eventually won the December 2000 presidential election and assumed office as President of Ghana in January 2001.

 Akufo-Addo was the chief campaigner for candidate Kufuor in the 2000 election and became the first Attorney General and Minister for Justice of the Kufuor era.

Black Maidens players paid $1000 each to leave hotel,after massive protest

Each player of the Ghana U17 female national team has been paid $1000 each out of the $2,000 owed them to leave the Maresat Plaza Hotel.

This comes after the players, and the technical team refused to leave the Maresat Plaza Hotel until all their per diems and bonuses are fully paid.

The team has refused to leave the Hotel since their arrival from Jordan Saturday morning after being knocked out of the FIFA Women’s U17 World Cup being staged in Jordan.

’Each player has been paid $1000 by the ministry to ensure they leave the Hotel to their various homes,’’ Management committee chairman Augustine Arhinful mentioned to abusuafmonline.

Further reports say some of the players after receiving the said amount have quickly left their Hotel while others are also preparing to leave.

EC SET TO ANNOUNCE QUALIFIED PARLIAMENTARY ASPIRANTS

The Electoral Commission says it is expecting its District Electoral officers to vet and release the list of aspirants who have qualified to contest in the 2016 parliamentary elections.

This follows the Commission’s announcement of the list of aspirants qualified to contest in the upcoming presidential elections at its Head Office in Accra on Monday.

The Commission revealed that, only four (4) out of the seventeen (17) aspirants qualified to contest in the December presidential polls.

According to the Director of Communications at the Electoral Commission, Eric Dzakpasu, all District Officers must publish the list of qualified parliamentary aspirants as part of their legal mandate.

He told Citi News, “When we go to the parliamentary, every returning officer receives the nomination, vets it and makes a determination to the Commission for approval, so in due course, a comprehensive list of all persons who are standing for the parliamentary will be published.”

Mr Dzakpasu expressed the hope that the announcement will be made “in due course”.

“It is a process and it wouldn’t take too long because we want to believe as at yesterday [Monday], all the constituencies were getting ready and so we expect that in due course within this period, the regions will be submitting the names of those whose forms have been accepted to the Head Office.”

‘Ayariga’s APC, PPP, PNC others disqualified from 2016 polls’
The Electoral Commission on Monday disqualified Hassan Ayariga’s All People’s Congress (APC), the People’s National Convention’s (PNC) Dr. Edward Mahama, the Progressive People’s Party’s (PPP) Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, and ten other aspirants from contesting in the December presidential elections.

All thirteen presidential aspirants were disqualified over their inability to appropriately complete their nomination forms.

RAWLINGS IS TOO OLD TO CAMPAIGN......ASIEDU NKETIA

General Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has said that former President Jerry John Rawlings is too old to campaign for the NDC, as the party seeks re-election of President John Mahama.

He admitted that the NDC would go into the 2016 campaign without President Rawlings, who founded the party, but claimed that the ex-military leader was in the ‘background’ doing some work.

JJ’s Absence

The absence of the former president on the NDC campaign trail in recent times has been so conspicuous that it has become the talk of the town.

Apart from Cape Coast where the NDC launched its national campaign in August, Mr Rawlings has not been seen at any major campaign event, including the manifesto launch of the party in Sunyani in late September.

He refused to endorse John Mahama when he attended the NDC Cape Coast campaign launch but asked the party supporters to wait till after the elections before he would go round the country ‘to rebuild the party.’

NDC’s position

Insisting that the party’s founder has not been sidelined, Mr. Asiedu Nketia, fondly called General Mosquito, preferred to play the age card of Mr. Rawlings to justify the founder’s non-involvement in the NDC campaign of late.

“If Jerry is your father will you pull him to campaign at this age?” he asked on Joy FM recently, pointing out that the party was content to engage the agility of the younger ones “whilst he (Rawlings) stays in the background” to proffer counselling.

He said, “We have benefited from the toil of this man so at this age he needs to rest for those he trained to do the work.”

The NDC was able to wrestle power from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in 2008 largely due to the untiring efforts of President Rawlings.

JJ’s Associate

Akofa Segbefia, a communication expert and associate of the former president, did not take kindly to Mr. Asiedu Naketia’s comment and said any attempt by the NDC to relegate the ex-president to the background on grounds of old age would be disastrous for the party.

He told Joy FM recently that “Jerry Rawlings is one person who cannot be put in the background.”

Mr Segbefia added that “he is the founder of the NDC, the daughter is contesting a parliamentary seat on the ticket of NDC and the wife is a founder of a party (NDP) so the thread of allegiance should be of concern. I do not know but if he has been contacted, I think people will speak to the issue else any form of argument will only be conjecturing.”

Cape Coast Sermon

When he attended the party’s campaign launch in Cape Coast in August, ex-President Rawlings, used the occasion to warn the party against ‘mimicking’ the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

“This campaign is going to be a challenge and more demanding,” he said, adding, “I can tell you that the NPP can’t be underestimated. You know it and I know it…Mimic them as some of us are doing and we will run into problems.”

Mr Rawlings rather used the platform to call for a clean campaign.

December contest

Ex-President Rawlings had said that the December 7 contest is not an easy one and added that the NDC had become weaker because it abandoned its core values but it could not fight the NPP without its values.

Warning the NDC about the threats posed by the NPP, the former president said, “The nature of who they are, what they are, where they have come from is something they are happy with and they will be there for a long time.

“The calculation I want to put before you is that by virtue of who and what they are, their character and mannerism, will necessarily give rise to what you and I are in the NDC. In other words, by virtue of who we are and where we have come from, how we came about into being, I keep saying that we cannot afford to fight them on their terms.”

Credit......Ghana web

WEIJA GBAWE ENDORSES TINA NAA AYELEY MENSAH AND NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFFO ADDO AHEAD OF DECEMBER POLLS

The Weija Gbawe constituency was thrown into a frenzy on Sunday, 2nd October when the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo together with some high powered party officials including sitting members of parliament, former ministers of state and political appointees under the erstwhile Kuffour administration stormed the constituency to help the parliamentary candidate Tina Naa Ayeley Mensah and the constituency executives to officially launch the 2016 Campaign .With over 20,000 party sympathizers  thronging in from various parts of the constituency and out filling the venue for the launch at mallam junction, One could only describe the scenario as electrifying and thunderous as they chanted NPP spirited songs amidst crying for #change in December. The presidential candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo urged the teaming supporters to be weary of president John Dramani Mahama,whom he described as engaging in politics of deception.Other speakers who took stage included Madaam Rosemond Abrah,the sitting member of parliament, Mr Yaw Osarfo Marfo ,former minister of finance,education and sports,Hon Aryequaye Otoo,Former attorney general ,Hon Shirley Ayorkor Botchway,Hon Sarah Adwoa Sarfoa  many others.On her part, Tina Naa Ayeley Mensah urged the supporters to remain resolute and steadfast in their quest to vote massively for her and Nana Addo in the december polls and asked for vigilance at all polling stations on the day of voting.The NPP’s parliamentary and presidential candidates are tipped to win massively in the constituency which is one of their strongholds in the coming elections.

Story : Nana Yaw Agyemang