Breaking News: Mahama can’t reopen case to cross-examine Jean Mensa – Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Ghana has ruled that former President John Mahama, the petitioner in the ongoing election petition, cannot reopen his case after closing it. Chief Justice Anin Yeboah read the ruling in court on Tuesday, 16 February 2021. He quoted several authorities to buttress the court’s position. “A mere filing of a witness statement is not an election to testify”, Justice Anin Yeboah said, adding: “We accordingly refuse that application”. Mr Mahama’s lead counsel, Mr Tsatsu Tsikata, had argued in court on Monday, 15 February that his side intended reopening the case so that it could subpoena the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mrs Jean Mensa, as a “hostile” or “adverse” witness if leave had been granted by the court to his side’s prayer. Mr Tsikata also insisted that for the sake of the God Mrs Mensa worships, it was important for her to mount the witness box. In his counter-arguments against the reopening of the case, Mr Justin Amenuvor, lead counsel for the EC said allowing Mr Tsikata to cross-examine Mrs Mensa as a hostile witness would be an abuse of the legal process. Also, Mr Akoto Ampaw, the lead counsel for President Nana Akufo-Addo, the second respondent in the case, argued that the party that bore the burden of proof, “as the petitioner does in this matter, must effectively meet that burden of proof”. Prior to Monday’s hearing, Mrs Mensa, the star witness of the first respondent, the EC, deposed to an affidavit opposing Mr Mahama’s push prayer to the apex court to reopen his case. The affidavit said the EC “decided that it would not waste time and effort over the tottering case” of Mr Mahama, “hence, my decision not to testify because there was nothing to testify about”. Mrs Mensa added: “The 1st respondent is opposed to the said application and says that the application is not warranted by any rule of law or procedure and the same should be dismissed by this honourable court”. “I am advised and verily believe that the application does not show sufficient reason for the court to permit the petitioner to reopen his case. I am advised that reopening a case is not a remedy for the asking; the applicant must show the harm to be suffered if the case were not reopened. The petitioner skipped this requirement”. “Again, I am advised that the petitioner’s lawyers were confident when they closed his case without reservation, and this court ought not to permit proceedings before it to drag unduly on the basis of a party’s afterthought and inability to prove its case in court,” the affidavit said. The EC added that the “petitioner entered into the contest herein believing that he would testify if need be. It became clear, too soon, that the petitioner’s case drifted into departures from the Strong Room by the petitioner’s agent of his own volition and grievances that I had served ‘tea without biscuits’ to the petitioner’s agent who had left the Strong Room to be in my secretariat”. “The 1st Respondent Commission decided that it would not waste time and effort over the tottering case hence my decision not to testify because there was nothing to testify about”. “Again, the petitioner deposes in support of his case to matters concerning ‘the biometric verification process for which huge sums of taxpayers’ money was spent.’ These are matters that have sprung up in this application for the first time and do not form the basis of the petitioner’s petition”. “I verily believe that there are more convenient fora (forums) for ventilating the so-called public interest issues and further that this should not form the basis of the petitioner re-opening his case in a presidential election petition in court”. “The petitioner deposes in the supporting affidavit further that this court has the power to summon me, as a witness. I am advised and verily believe that the application is an abuse of this honourable court’s process insofar as it does not tell this court whether I am needed as a witness for the petitioner or for the 1st Respondent or what I am required to say”. “I verily believe that this court has power to call a witness suo motu but not a party, let alone a party adjudged to have a vested right to decide not to testify”. “I am opposed to the petitioner being granted leave by this honourable court to re-open a case that he closed of his own volition without compulsion”. “I am advised that even if this court grants leave for the petitioner to reopen its case; it ought not cause a subpoena to be issued against me because a subpoena is issued with coercive effect,” Mensa noted. Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: +233555568093
Petition Hearing: Supreme Court has not given me reason to be optimistic – Ayine
Spokesperson for the lawyers of the petitioner in the ongoing election petition hearing Dr Dominic Ayine has said that he is not optimistic the petitioner will get a favorable ruling from the bench as to whether or not they can reopen their case. When asked by TV3’s Thomas Adotei Pappoe at a media engagement after court proceedings on Monday February 15, the former Deputy Attorney General said “If what has gone on before is anything to go by I am not very optimistic . I am disappointed that the court may not give me a reason to be very optimistic. “However, when it comes to whether or not we have led a sufficient evidence, the fact is that we led evidence to show there were infractions and you witnessed the fact that we led evidence showing that there had been vote padding and they themselves admitted that there had been vote padding.” During proceedings on Monday, Lead Counsel for the petitioner Tsatsu Tsikata told the Supreme Court that there is sufficient basis to grant the request to subpoena the chairperson of the 1st Respondent, Jean Adukwei Mensa to testify in the case. Mr Tsikata had argued in court on Monday February 15 that, the affidavit of the 1st Respondent indicated that she was going to testify, a proposition that resulted in the earlier decision of the petitioner to close his case for that to happen. “We had the expectation that the chairperson of the 1st Respondent will testify” hence the closure of the case. “The Chairperson of the 1st Respondent has in affidavit made clear that the petitioner will in no way be prejudiced because the questions that the petitioner sought to have in interrogatories those will be subject matter in cross examination,” Mr Tsikata told the court. He added “There is a sufficient basis from the circumstances that arose on 9th of February when we close our case and when there was expectation that the choir of the 1st respondent will actually come and testify.” Counsel for the 1st Respondent, Mr Justin Amenuvor for his part told the Supreme Court on Monday February 15, that the petitioner’s application to reopen his case is an abuse of the court processes. Mr Amenuvor told the court that an extensive research he conducted so far on reopen of cases, points that since the common-law emerged in Ghana as far back as 1876 no such attempt has ever been made. This is “an abuse of the court processes,” he said. 3news Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: +233555568093
$150 Airport testing fee was a standard set to prohibits ….Richard Ahiagbah
The Executive Director of the Dankwa Institute and a member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) communication team Richard Ahiagbah has revealed, that the 150.00 dollar testing fee introduced at the Kotako International Airport was a standard set to prohibits people from trooping into the country. Mr. Ahiagbah who was speaking on Metro TV GOOD MORNING GHANA monitored by Apexnewsgh.com, said even though he agreed the amount is high, the $150.00 was not targeted to every Ghanaian because only a few use the airport for traveling. “How many Ghanaians travel through that Airport? We are trying to set a standard that prohibits or minimizes the inflows of people into the country. So, that is an entry limit or obstacle put…. What other countries are doing today, it creates prohibitive condition”. “At the time the airport was opened, it was a matter we needed to do it for economic reason and across the world, countries have begun opening their airport”. However, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale Central Murtala Mohammed, disagreed with such pronouncement from the Dankwa Institute Executive Director. According to Mr. Murtala, Ghanaians used the Kotako international airport than foreigners At a time, the government opens the airport, Civil Society groups and experts in the area of health and the pandemic warned the government not to open the airport and government refused to listen. So, if you are now telling me, it was done to protect the people of this country so that we don’t have the spread of COVID, the government should have listened. Murtala stressed Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: +233555568093
‘Nobody Can Cajole Me Into Worshipping Them . . . I Serve Leaders Who Respect Me’ – Koku Anyidoho
The Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Atta Mills Institute, Samuel Koku Anyidoho has showered praises on the achievements of some past Presidents of the Republic and current President Nana Akufo-Addo for leaving behind some legacies for the next generation. According to the former Deputy General Secretary of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), setting up the Atta Mills Institute is not to project only the legacy left behind by former President Atta Mills but also to include that of former President Rawlings, Kuffour and current President Akufo-Addo and the first President of Ghana, Dr Kwame Nkrumah. Speaking on Okay FM’s ‘Ade Akye Abia’ Morning Show, the CEO of Atta Mills Institute said that irrespective of what anybody thinks, his acknowledgement remains with the chosen names he has mentioned. “I live by faith and I operate by faith. President Mills is gone; he will not come back again but his legacy will live long, the legacy of President Rawlings will live long and the legacy of President Kuffour will live long and also the legacy of Nana Akufo-Addo will live long as well as the legacy of Kwame Nkrumah”. “I have chosen to name names and I am not obliged to name every name. I will mention names from Kwame Nkrumah up to today; I have mentioned the names already and let those who want to fill in the puzzle, fill in the puzzle but I am saying that President Mills was my political father; Jerry Rawlings before him [Mills]. Today, President Kuffour has allowed me to enter his house before and President Akufo-Addo is building Asomdwee Park. I know the ones I want to name,” he said. Without relating his comment to his suspension from the NDC, Koku Anyidoho admonished that he is not prepared to bow before anyone for no reason; thus, he will not allow anyone to cajole him into worshipping them as he does not worship human beings but God alone. “Those who think I will bow before them for no apparent reason; those who think they can cajole me into worshipping them, let them know that I don’t worship human beings; I worship my God and I serve leaders who respect me,” he chided. Peacefm Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: +233555568093
Ablekuma Central MP dashes first salary of Ghc15,000 to constituency
The Member of Parliament for Ablekuma Central Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, Hon. Abdul Latif Dan has donated an amount of fifteen thousand Ghana Cedis (15,000) to the Constituency. The donation was in line with a promise he made to the ward executives during a meeting he had with them on January 24, 2021. The Ward executives have over the years complained about lack of furniture for members to sit on during meetings. The amount according to the executives will help procure furniture for the wards. There are 10 wards within the Ablekuma Central NDC. They are Sukura, Mambrouk, Laterbiokoshie, Mnemneete, Abossey Okai North and South, Gbotsui, Mataheko, Adwenbu and Town Council Line. Each ward received a thousand Ghana Cedis whilst the constituency party security had 3,000 Ghana Cedis the with the Election Directorate receiving 2,000 Ghana Cedis. The leadership of the various wards expressed their profound gratitude to the MP for his kind gesture and pledged to continue to offer their support to make him succeed and work in the interest of the constituency. On his part, Hon. Abdul Latif Dan stated that the donation was to show appreciation to the various wards for the excellent work and support they gave him before during and after the 2020 election. He assures the constituents of good leadership adding that he is in as the MP to serve the people and not the people serving him. He said there are many initiatives in the pipeline which will bring massive development, provide skill training for interested youth and reduction in the number of unemployed youth in the constituency. Modernghana Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: +233555568093
COVID-19: Akufo-Addo suspends Independence Day celebrations nationwide
President Akufo-Addo has suspended the mounting of parades as part of activities to mark Ghana’s 64th Independence Day celebration. According to a Ghana Education Service (GES) memo sighted by Citi News, the directive came in a letter to GES from the Presidency on February 11. The directive is in line with presidential measures of avoiding large gatherings as the country continues to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. To this end, all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Education Directors and Heads of all schools have, through their Regional Education Directors, been asked to comply with the directive. “Management of the Ghana Education Service wishes to inform all Regions that the 64th Independence Anniversary Parade on the 6th March 2021 has been suspended forthwith across the country,” GES noted in the memo. GES said the decision was given in a letter from the Office of the Chief of Staff at the Presidency directing for the suspension of this year’s independence celebration and all its related activities nationwide due to the high prevalence rate of COVID-19 cases in the country. The 6th March parade by school children all over the country is normally a feature of Ghana’s Independence Day celebrations. President Akufo-Addo recently reimposed the ban on public gatherings as part of measures to contain the rise in COVID-19 cases in Ghana. He said the ban was until further notice warning that anyone found breaking the new directive will be severely dealt with. Ghana’s active cases of Coronavirus as of today, Monday, February 15, 2021, are 7,850 after 656 new infections. Greater Accra, Ashanti and Eastern Regions continue to lead the chart of areas with a high number of cases. Citinewsroom Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: +233555568093
GHS: Accra, Kumasi first to benefit from COVID-19 vaccines
The two main COVID-19 hotspots in the country, Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions, will be first beneficiaries of vaccines yet to arrive, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has said. Speaking in an interview with Nana Yaa Mensah on The Asaase Breakfast Show on Monday (15 February), Dr Kwame Amponsah Achiano, Programme Manager of Expanded Immunization Programme at the Ghana Health Service said the plan is to first target the hotspots. “We have also prioritised the hotspots and so the initial dose is basically going to be given to Greater Accra Metro and Kumasi Metro because that is the hotspots, so that is what the plan is,” he said. Dr Achiano added: “For these hotspots that is the segmentation, it is not a nationwide thing, because for 355, 000 doses if you add the cover, it will not cover the whole nation.” Cost of vaccination Touching on expenses, Dr Achiano said it is estimated that vaccinating one person will cost USD$3. “So, I can talk of the 355,000 but from the top of my head we have estimated USD$3 per person vaccinated which translates to about USD$1.5 per initial vaccination because everybody is going to get two,” Dr Achiano said. He added: “And so you can multiply that by the number of persons vaccinated and you get the total cost, $51.7 million is for the entire 20 million and if we get the operational cost for delivering two doses at different interval and this include everything else plus even the cold chain facility.” Currently, the average cost of COVID-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca is between USD$4 and USD$7. 17.6 million vaccines President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had earlier said government will procure about 17.6 million COVID-19 vaccines by the end of June 2021. He said “…The earliest vaccine will be in the country by March.” Addressing the nation in his 23rd update on measures taken against the novel coronavirus, President Akufo-Addo said: “Our aim is to vaccinate the entire population, with an initial target of twenty million people. Through bilateral and multilateral means, we are hopeful that, by the end of June, a total of 17.6 million vaccine doses would have been procured for the Ghanaian people.” President Akufo-Addo added: “The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) will use its established processes for granting emergency-use-authorisation for each vaccine in Ghana. As President of the Republic, I assure you that only vaccines that have been evaluated and declared as safe-for-use in Ghana will be administered.” Asaase Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: +233555568093
Valentine: Bloody fight as Kwabenya Police officer catches Adenta man chopping his Policewoman wife
There was bloody violence at about 10 pm yesterday when a policeman stationed with Kwabenya District Police Headquarters, Sergeant Oheneba Adu caught another man naked in bed chopping his wife who is also a police woman. A source told MyNewsGh.com that Sgt. Oheneba received information that someone was having sexual intercourse with his wife, Sgt. Mrs Adu who is also a police woman at a suburb of Adenta Animal Research Area. He followed up to the location and found his wife naked in bed with another man who was smoking Indian hemp while romping her up and down. A confrontation ensued in which the man assaulted and inflicted wounds on police Sgt. Oheneba Adu whose wife couldn’t intervene as her fellow police officer and husband suffered severe beatings in the scuffle from her boyfriend. The boyfriend pulled a knife and threatened to kill Sgt. Adu who lost his two mobile phones in the melee. The matter has since been reported to the station for an investigation to commence. Police Medical report form was issued to Sergeant Oheneba Adu to seek medical care and return for further action. MyNewsGh.com Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: +233555568093
GPTRU to run ‘cost sharing’ system if social distancing hits transport sector
The Public Relations officer for the Ghana Private Road and Transport Union (GPRTU), Abbas Morro, says the union will be forced to adopt a cost sharing system in the transport business if government announces a cut in the number of passengers who use public transport following a surge in Ghana’s Covid-19 cases. The statement follows a supposed impending 10% upward adjustment of transport fares by the Ghana Private Road and Transport Union (GPTRU). During the first wave of the Covid-19, transport owners were forced to reduce the intake of passengers as part of the social distancing protocol. Ghana has recorded 718 new cases of the coronavirus, bringing the total number of active cases in the country to 8,216. The death toll has risen to 533. In an interview with host of Atinka FM’s AM Drive, Kaakyire Ofori Ayim, Public Relations officer for the Ghana Private Road and Transport Union (GPTRU), Abbas Morro, said the union will only share the cost of the empty seats on the others should government ask the union to observe social distancing in the vehicles. He refuted the 10% upward adjustment of transport fares by as being purported. According to him, the union will have no option than to park their vehicles should there be any form of resistance to the cost sharing system. “ We, the drivers are really suffering. After work every day, we put monies down for fuel, engine, tyre, insurance , road worthy among others. After all these expenses, we end up with little or nothing. If this cost sharing is resisted, then we would have to park all our cars until something is done about it, else we won’t get monies to feed our families”, Public Relations officer for the Ghana Private Road and Transport Union (GPTRU), Abbas Morro, told Kaakyire Ofori Ayim. Source; Atinkaonline.com Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: +233555568093
What makes a successful politician?
One of the intriguing features of the coronavirus pandemic is how sharply it has illuminated the importance of effective political leadership. Wherever we stand on the political spectrum, we’re looking to elected officials to help steer us through this crisis. While I don’t want to talk about specific politicians, a lifetime in politics has given me a sense of what makes a good one — as a policy maker, that is, rather than a candidate. One of the ironies of our system is that the skills and attributes that put someone in office are usually not the skills needed for success once they’re there. Yet as a nation we depend on politicians’ abilities in office to move us forward. For starters, I think the most successful politicians have integrity. When you’re interacting with many others to deal with complex and difficult public policy issues, it’s hugely important that you can trust someone’s word. Most of the politicians I’ve met stay true to what they tell you. They recognize the need to work with others and know that trust matters. For the same reason, they tend to be skillful at working with all sorts of people. Sizing others up accurately – not just whether they’re trustworthy, but the skills and strengths they might bring to a given policy or organizing effort – is vital. So is not rushing to make quick judgments, but instead letting others show through their actions what they can accomplish. Many good politicians are quite tolerant – they know people make mistakes or errors of judgment, and that nobody has a monopoly on the truth or performs flawlessly. The best politicians I’ve met – Bill Clinton comes to mind – also have a way of charming people who don’t agree with them. I was in a room once with Clinton and a group of people whom he knew disliked him. He was affable, engaging, listened carefully to what they had to say; you would never have guessed he had any idea what they thought of him. Walking out with them afterward, I asked what they thought. They all responded, “I still have disagreements with him, but what a nice fellow!” I’ve been impressed over the years by the energy and drive to get things done that good politicians bring to their work. When I talk with people who want to get into politics, I usually open the conversation with two questions: What’s your energy level? And what’s your spouse or partner think about it? Both are critically important, because as all-consuming as a campaign might be, serving in office is even more so, especially if you’re a politician who wants to accomplish change. An unsupportive spouse or partner spells problems down the road. At the same time, accomplished politicians know how to rein in their enthusiasm and zeal. They practice patience and perseverance and prepare for the long haul, because they understand that controversial things don’t get easily done in our system. They believe that facts matter, because they’re the starting point for any productive negotiation. And they’re very good at managing their time efficiently. Good politicians are able to put aside partisan differences when necessary and work for the common good. They do not see someone they disagree with as the enemy. One of the intriguing things about good politicians is that they don’t just want to serve their country and communities, they also know how to check their egos at the door and act with apparent humility — even when, as is often the case, their egos are quite healthy. I remember when Tip O’Neill was speaker of the House, he’d make sure to let other House members bask in the glow of accomplishment as often as possible. When legislation passed, he’d congratulate everybody involved — he knew what each of us had done to move the ball forward — and you’d walk out of there thinking he’d had nothing to do with it at all, even if he’d orchestrated the whole thing. I’ll be candid: No politician combines all these traits. But it can’t hurt to keep the ideal in front of us and know what the politicians we elect should strive to be. Lee Hamilton is a Senior Advisor for the Indiana University Center on Representative Government; a Distinguished Scholar at the IU Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies; and a Professor of Practice at the IU O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years. Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: +233555568093