Minister designates and why minority denied them approval
So far these are Minister designates in Akufo Addo’s second administration currently having issues with their approval as far as the minority side of the Appointments Committee is concerned. Below are the reasons why they were not approved at the same time with the rest of the 22 already Unanimously approved by the Appointment Committee of Parliament. Kwesi Amoako-Atta It is believed that on the Roads and Highways portfolio, the clarification they may be seeking has to do with the Tema road contract before they approve the nominee, Kwesi Amoako-Atta. Oppong Nkrumah The sources say, members of the minority side of the Appointments Committee accused Oppong Nkrumah, as being the one who called for a member of the legal team of the petitioner in the ongoing Election 2020 petition, Dr. Dominic Ayine, to be cited for contempt, after Ayine told the media on 16 February 2021, that the Supreme Court has a predetermined agenda to rule in favour of President Akufo-Addo. Ursula Owusu Ekuful The approval of the Minister-designate for Communications and Digitization, Ursula Owusu Ekuful, is also on hold because the Minority side says they require some clarification on the closure of some radio stations in the country. Kwaku Owusu Afriyie Akoto In the case of the Minister for Food and Agriculture-designate, Kwaku Owusu Afriyie Akoto, members of the Minority side of the Appointments Committee accused him of being arrogant when he appeared before the committee and on that basis, they will not approve of his nomination. Hawa Koomson As for Hawa Koomson, the Minority side of the Appointments Committee, are of the opinion that she is not fit for the job. John Amewu Peter John Peter Amewu, the former Minister for Energy who supervised the PDS deal and has been nominated by the president to serve as the Minister for Railways Development in his second administration, has his approval also on hold. The minority side of the Appointments Committee say they require some clarification on some answers the minister-designate provided during his vetting on the PDS deal. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu The Health Minister-designate, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu‘s appointment, according to our source is on hold because the Minority side of the Appointments Committee say he did not satisfy them with his answers on questions regarding the engagement of Frontier to offer COVID-19 testing services at the airport some time in September 2020. Godfred Yeboah Dame The Agyapa Gold Royalties deal and the answers given by the Minister for Justice and Attorney General-designate, Godfred Yeboah Dame, to questions posed by some members of the Appointments Committee ought to be clarified and to that end, the Attorney General’s nomination is also on hold, one source disclosed. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093
Appointments Committee approves 22 ministers, eight pending
Twenty-two ministerial nominees of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo have been unanimously approved by the Appointments Committee of Parliament, Asaase Radio’s parliamentary sources have confirmed. Asaase Radio can also reveal that the committee wants clarification on five others while three may require majority decision via voting on the floor of Parliament. Three on hold According to Asaase Radio’s sources in Parliament and at the Office of the President, the Ministers-designate for Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah and Fisheries, Hawa Koomson, could not get the approval of all 26 members of the Appointments Committee and must secure approval through voting on the floor of Parliament. The sources say, members of the minority side of the Appointments Committee accused Oppong Nkrumah, as being the one who called for a member of the legal team of the petitioner in the ongoing Election 2020 petition, Dr. Dominic Ayine, to be cited for contempt, after Ayine told the media on 16 February 2021, that the Supreme Court has a predetermined agenda to rule in favour of President Akufo-Addo. In the case of the Minister for Food and Agriculture-designate, Kwaku Owusu Afriyie Akoto, members of the Minority side of the Appointments Committee accused him of being arrogant when he appeared before the committee and on that basis, they will not approve of his nomination. On Koomson, the Minority side of the Appointments Committee, are of the opinion that she is not fit for the job. Clarifications on five Information available to Asaase News further suggests that the Minority side of the Appointments Committee will formally communicate to the appropriate authorities to indicate the clarifications they need with regard to the remaining five nominations of President Akufo-Addo. It is believed that on the Roads and Highways portfolio, the clarification they may be seeking has to do with the Tema road contract, before they approve the nominee, Kwesi Amoako-Atta. The approval of the Minister-designate for Communications and Digitization, Ursula Owusu Ekuful, is also on hold because the Minority side says they require some clarification on the closure of some radio stations in the country. The Health Minister-designate, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu‘s appointment, according to our source is on hold because the Minority side of the Appointments Committee say he did not satisfy them with his answers on questions regarding the engagement of Frontier to offer COVID-19 testing services at the airport some time in September 2020. The Agyapa Gold Royalties deal and the answers given by the Minister for Justice and Attorney General-designate, Godfred Yeboah Dame, to questions posed by some members of the Appointments Committee ought to be clarified and to that end, the Attorney General’s nomination is also on hold, one source disclosed. John Peter Amewu, the former Minister for Energy who supervised the PDS deal and has been nominated by the president to serve as the Minister for Railways Development in his second administration, has his approval also on hold. The minority side of the Appointments Committee say they require some clarification on some answers the minister-designate provided during his vetting on the PDS deal. Asaase Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093
I am considering running for the White House for a third time — Says Donald Trump
Former US president, Donald Trump was back in action in Florida on Sunday night, February 28 at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), his first public address since leaving office in January 20. Trump told conservatives at the conference that he is considering running for the White House for a third time while also revealing that he won’t form a new political party as that will make the Republican party weaker and the Democratic party stronger. In a ‘Trumpism’ laden speech, the former president repeated false claims of election fraud and accused Democrats of “recklessly eliminating our border”. Trump also attacked tech firms like Facebook and Twitter saying they “should be punished with sanctions when they silence conservative voices”. “They are radicals who want to turn America into a socialist country”. He also accused the Democrats of using Covid in order to cheat the American people. “Our election process is worse than that of a third-world country,” he says. “There should be comprehensive election reforms, they changed the laws due to China virus to make the election illegal”. “Illegal aliens and dead people voted’ “The level of dishonesty is not to be believed,” “It’s such a disgrace. This election was rigged and the Supreme Court didn’t want to do anything about it. “They didn’t have the guts or the courage to make the right decision.” Trump then got the biggest roar of the evening when he suggested he might run for president again. “I may even decide to beat them for a third time”, he says, presumably counting his victory over the Democrats in 2016 along with his defeat to Joe Biden in 2020. “Hello CPAC – do you miss me yet?” To which there is a deafening scream from the crowd. Trump said the journey he began four years ago “is far from over” and “just getting started”. “In the end we will win,” he says. “I am not starting a new party,” he says. “We have the Republican Party. It’s going to unite and be stronger than ever before.” Trump then turned to women’s sport, claiming that Democrats are destroying women’s sport by allowing trans women to compete. “It’s crazy, it’s crazy what’s happening,” Trump says. “Women’s sports as we know it will die. “Somebody said, ‘that’s going to be very controversial’” and pauses to wait for the cheers before adding: “That’s OK, you haven’t heard anything yet”. He then criticised the White House for removing sanctions on Iran as Washington prepares to negotiate a new nuclear deal. “Had we had a fair election, we would have had a deal with Iran within the first week.” Trump concluded his speech by predicting that in the coming years, “a Republican president will make a triumphant return to the White House.” “And I wonder who that will be,” he said, in a typical nod toward a third campaign in 2024. “I wonder who that will be. Who? Who? Who will that be? I wonder.”
Why nurses who administered vaccine to Nana Addo, others didn’t wear gloves
Ghana President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Monday, March 1, 2021, became the first person in the country to take the much-awaited coronavirus vaccine that arrived sometime last week. The President’s jab which was telecast on national television was to among other things done to allay fears of a section of the public regarding the effects of the vaccine. It was also to demonstrate the confidence the president had in the efficacy of the AstraZeneca vaccine in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. While Nana Addo and the First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo have been commended for openly taking his vaccine jab, concerns have been raised as to why the nurses who administered the jab on the president and his wife were not wearing surgical gloves, with some arguing that it is dangerous. But it has emerged per GhanaWeb checks that the decision by the nurses not to wear gloves while giving the jabs is standard practice. According to the Washington state department of health, gloves are not recommended to be worn when administering the Covid-19 vaccination, unless the person administering the vaccination has open sores on their hands or is likely to come into contact with a patient’s body fluids. “Gloves are not recommended for most vaccination administration and are not required for the Covid-19 vaccine unless the person administering the vaccine is likely to come into contact with potentially infectious body fluids or has open lesions on their hands,” it said. “If used improperly, gloves can increase the likelihood of spreading germs.” The General Best Practice Guidelines for Immunization set out by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the same thing: “Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations do not require gloves to be worn when administering vaccinations unless persons administering vaccinations have open lesions on their hands or are likely to come into contact with a patients body fluids”. Ghana acquired 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from India on Wednesday, February 24, becoming the first African country to do so. The roll-out of the vaccination will be conducted in forty-three (43) districts, which are the epicentres of the pandemic in the country. They are twenty-five (25) in Greater Accra, sixteen (16) in Ashanti, and two (2) in the Central Region. Designated persons to take the vaccine will begin the exercise on Tuesday, March 2. The roll-out of the vaccine is expected to break the transmission of the virus which has seen a surge in Ghana over the last couple of weeks. Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093
Ben Ephson sends strong message to Judicial Service will shock you
Veteran journalist, Ben Ephson, has described as unnecessary threats contained in the caution statement by the Judicial Service to media houses. According to him, the Judicial Service could have demanded better exercise of discretion by the media without threatening them. The Judicial Service has, in a statement, called on media houses to remove stories they describe as inciteful or insulting towards judges. “We must notify you, and we hereby do, that should you fail to heed our client’s demand as specified in paragraph 14 above, we have our client’s instructions to take appropriate action to ensure that you do not abuse the right to free speech by deploying and/or permitting your platform to be deployed in a manner that not only threatens our constitutional order and democracy but obviously, adversely interferes with the due administration of justice and also, brings it, into disrepute,” a part of the statement said. Commenting on the development, the pollster said: “I believe the judicial service should be taken through the nuances of how the media works. The judicial service had made their point clear but that threat in their statement was unnecessary. I think the GJA should let them see their workings,” he told Starr FM Monday. Also commenting, lawyer and journalist Samson Lardi said the Judicial Service should have cited the offending media houses. “I wish in their petition, they mentioned the specific media houses and given examples of what they have done. It would’ve been better if we got to know the content and those who are carrying it. But for the enquiry I made, I wouldn’t have known my platform wasn’t part,” he said. Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093
Funny Face’s Stay In Accra Psychiatric Hospital Extended
The Ofaakor Circuit Court has extended Funny Face’s stay and treatment in the Accra Psychiatric Hospital by a month. Adom News’ Kofi Adjei reported that the extension was suggested by the doctor attending to the actor, born Benson Nana Yaw Oduro Boateng. Speaking in court, the prosecutor said Funny Face’s doctor had written a letter to the police stating that the actor will be unable to appear in court for his case. The doctor stated that the actor was unfit adding he was still having trouble articulating his thoughts among others. He added that Funny Face has been put on a strict treatment that required enough rest. The doctor in his letter pleaded with the court to increase the number of days he should spend in the hospital. The court presided by Ebenezer Osei Darko approved of Funny Face’s extended stay at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital. The case has been adjourned to April 1. The comedic act is in court after he was arrested by the police in Kasoa for unlawfully discharging a firearm at a drinking pub. The Central Regional Police PRO, DSP Irene Serwaa Oppong said someone had reported Funny Face for causing a disturbance in a bar. She stated that their investigations reveal the actor had gone to the bar where a misunderstanding ensued between him and the owner. Although the two were separated, Funny Face went home, returned with a gun and fired warning shots. Adom News’ Kofi Adjei who was in court reported that Funny Face first pleaded guilty to unlawfully discharging a firearm in a public place. During the first hearing, the judge committed the actor to the psychiatric hospital for two weeks. The judge said Funny Face may be having a mental crisis and possibly going through depression. Meanwhile, the comedian was reunited with his daughters and their mother only known as Vanessa while in the hospital. Vanessa said, in the interview, that after seeing Funny Face at the Psychiatric Hospital, she felt the need to forget the past and move on. She said that it is important she fixes her relationship with Funny Face so their children can continue to share a bond with their father. myjoyonline.com Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093
“Lesbianism Killed Ebony” – Rapper, Pope Skinny Makes Shocking Revelation[Watch]
Ghanaian Hiplife artiste, Pope Skinny has caused an uproar on social media after making a startling revelation about the death of late Ghanaian Dancehall and Highlife singer, Ebony Reigns. Pope Skinny alleged in a video that Ebony Reigns was killed by angry gods of a town called Amonokrom because she was a lesbian and she had sex with her lesbian partner in that town. According to the talented lyricist who is currently based in the US., the lady that died with her in that gory accident three years ago was her lesbian partner. Pope Skinny said in his narration that the gods of Amonokrom hate homosexuality so it is an abomination for gays and lesbians to take their escapades there hence the gods killed Ebony through the accident. Watch the full video below: Latest News In Ghana. Click Here To Read Our Latest News Stories Peacefmonline Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093
Your insidious threats to media freedom in Ghana scandalous – GJA to Judges
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has described as scandalous, a directive given to media firms to pull down stories that put justices of the highest court of Ghana in a bad light. The directive was issued on behalf of the Court by lawyers of the Judicial Service of Ghana, Sory@Law. They claim some of the publications in the media are “a series of incendiary, hateful and offensive statements, and speeches. . .against the Justices”. But at a press conference in Accra on Monday March 1, President of the GJA Affail Monney said“ the GJA is, to put it mildly, dumbstruck in reading this obnoxious directive pregnant with insidious threats to media freedom in Ghana which is touted as a land of freedom and justice. With all due respect, this is scandalous.” “Unsurprisingly, our telephones have been flooded with calls, both local and international, from journalists, media watch organizations, defenders of press freedom and free expression, seeking to know what exactly was happening since that contentious statement by the Judicial Service was issued. “It is universally acknowledged that media right is not absolute , but qualified. And legal experts teach us that such qualification must chime with the dictates of the law, due process , and must be exercised in such ways as to achieve legitimate aims and objectives. “In crafting the scandalous statement, the GJA is principally of the view that the Judicial Service ought to have avoided any impression or situation that has the tendency to instill fear and promote a culture of silence into which Ghana had been enveloped during the period of autocratic misrule. “Criticism , they say , is a gift which all arms of government need. So it will be miscarriage of fairness to deny the Judiciary that gift. Ann Landers once said ‘the naked truth is better than a well dressed lie. ‘Contextually, the naked truth is that the Judicial is not immune from criticism. However, that criticism must be done in a manner that does not bring the administration of justice into disrepute. To this end, the GJA urges the media community to be calm , and not to be led into temptation to scandalize the court with unhinged comments or verbal stones , no matter how provocative the statement of the Judicial Service might be.” Below is the full statement … STATEMENT BY GJA PRESIDENT, AFFAIL MONNEY, AT A PRESS CONFERENCE HELD AT THE GHANA INTERNATIONAL PRESS CENTRE ON MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021, IN REACTION TO THREATS AGAINST THE MEDIA BY THE JUDICIAL SERVICE Good morning, members of the GJA National Executive, our distinguished menbers, ladies and gentlemen. A special welcome to senior members and veterans of our profession who have joined us at the Ghana International Press Centre, the citadel of press freedom and free expression as well as a bastion of our democracy. This hurriedly convened press conference has been triggered by a statement by the Judicial Service in which it ordered the media to “ immediately pull down “ from their platforms “ statements and speeches which convey , and / or insinuate hateful, spiteful, vengeful, incendiary communication against justices of the Supreme Court, especially, those hearing the election petition. Furthermore, the media must prevent the publication of such statements and speeches. The Judicial Service then threatened to take , what it called , “ appropriate action to ensure that the media do not abuse the right to free speech.” Ladies and gentlemen of the media. The GJA is, to put it mildly, dumbstruck in reading this obnoxious directive pregnant with insidious threats to media freedom in Ghana which is touted as a land of freedom and justice. With all due respect, this is scandalous. Unsurprisingly, our telephones have been flooded with calls, both local and international , from journalists, media watch organisations, defenders of press freedom and free expression, seeking to know what exactly was happening since that contentious statement by the Judicial Service was issued. It is universally acknowledged that media right is not absolute , but qualified. And legal experts teach us that such qualification must chime with the dictates of the law, due process , and must be exercised in such ways as to achieve legitimate aims and objectives. In crafting the scandalous statement, the GJA is principally of the view that the Judicial Service ought to have avoided any impression or situation that has the tendency to instill fear and promote a culture of silence into which Ghana had been enveloped during the period of autocratic misrule. Criticism , they say , is a gift which all arms of government need. So it will be miscarriage of fairness to deny the Judiciary that gift. Ann Landers once said “ the naked truth is better than a well dressed lie. “ Contextually, the naked truth is that the Judicial is not immune from criticism. However, that criticism must be done in a manner that does not bring the administration of justice into disrepute. To this end, the GJA urges the media community to be calm , and not to be led into temptation to scandalize the court with unhinged comments or verbal stones , no matter how provocative the statement of the Judicial Service might be. The GJA will like to remind its members that far from acting on the basis of any threat or intimidation to “immediately pull down” from their platforms as requested, the media should rather act in the spirit of the GJA Code of Ethics that says “A journalist corrects inaccuracies and mistakes at the earliest opportunity and offers a chance for a rejoinder and/or an apology as appropriate”. It is lodged in our memory that the Judiciary has the power to commit any erring journalist or media house for contempt, using of course, acceptable protocols, and appropriate mechanisms . What they should not consider at all in this context is any unprecedented or antiquated method which smacks of censorship, intimidation, or resuscitation of the culture of silence which can spell unthinkable
COVID-19 vaccination: It was painful, but I smiled – Bawumia
Vice-president Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has confessed he had to put up a nice face while being vaccinated on Monday at the Police Hospital against the COVID-19 disease despite the pain. According to him, the process was “painful” but he had to smile throughout with the cameras on him. Moments before entering his car to leave the inoculation grounds, Information Minister-designate Kojo Oppong Nkrumah asked him: “Your Excellency, you didn’t tell us if it was painful or not.” Bawumia replied: “It was painful” Then after a few seconds, the cheerful-looking vice-president added before getting into the car: “But I was smiling” prompting laughter from Nkrumah and Interior Minister-designate Ambrose Dery. Bawumia was accompanied by his wife Samira, who also took the vaccine publicly to prove its safety. Samira Bawumia takes her COVID-19 vaccine jab “We’re taking the vaccine today to assure the public and Ghanaians in general that it’s safe… and the FDA has really assured us and we’re very confident in the safety of this vaccine. We’re asking all Ghanaians to be cooperative in this process of vaccination. Please don’t listen to the naysayers who want to spread conspiracy theory about this vaccine… this is to protect all of us and our economy, so we move forward. It’s in our collective interest to take this vaccine,” Bawumia told the public prior to taking the vaccine. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his wife Rebecca were the first to take the vaccines at the 37 Military Hospital. Daily Mail GH Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093
I will marry Nana Addo if he accepts LGBTQ+ in Ghana – Coconut seller (VIDEO)
Correspondence from Eastern Region: A coconut seller who plies his trade in Koforidua, the Eastern regional capital, has sworn that if the government, led by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, allows homosexuality to openly operate in Ghana, he would prefer to marry the President. The young coconut seller held the view that homosexuality is not a thing that the President and his government should ever condone and consider accepting in the country. “If they (the government) accept it, my name is Akwasi Oppong, I will go and marry Nana Addo. If Nana Addo accepts gayism here, I will go and put a ring on him (marry him),” he said. According to the coconut seller, who spoke to Ghanaweb in Koforidua, homosexuals are unsound people who need to be given 1000 lashes each if they are found, saying, “They should be put on a table and given 1000 lashes each. They are not correct.” Akwasi Oppong’s counterpart, also a coconut seller, Kwabena Augustine, did not hold a different view. He expressed his abhorrence to the issue of homosexuality, indicating that, “A man with his hard buttocks, then you, a man, will say you will marry him. When did you see a male cat having sex with another male cat? That thing should not be allowed here,” he said. Ghanaweb interviewed some more residents on their views on the issue of legalising homosexuality in Ghana but they all rejected such a call describing it as an abomination for the country. “We should not condone that thing (homosexuality) here at all. Growing up I never heard my mum telling us two men have mated and delivered a child before. Left with me, the government should reject this thing. Any person caught engaging in this should be arrested and jailed. Personally, I hate it. “God created sweet women for us. How do you feel when you see a beautiful lady? Why should a man be attracted to another man? We prefer living in poverty than allowing homosexuality here for riches,” a male trader expressed. Another resident, Afia Boadiwaa, described homosexuality to be evil and should not be entertained in Ghana. She stated that if the President had gone for a loan from the pro-LGBTQ+ group on the nation’s behalf, he should return it to them. A footwear dealer also told Ghanaweb that “It is not right for us to allow them to live in Ghana. Because gayism is occultism. It is needless to allow it to be in Ghana. If we allow it, it is corruption we are bringing into Ghana. We don’t like it that way.” When asked if his stance was not a violation of human rights against LGBTQ+, he said, “We won’t violate anybody’s right. God said we should procreate like the sea sand. Why then should we allow a man to marry a man? How will they procreate?” Kofi Manu is also a resident of Koforidua who as well shared that Ghana should not agree to homosexuality. “If Nana Addo Dankwa, our own President, we vote for him, agrees to it then it’s bad. “Past Presidents did not accept this in Ghana. We voted for you to come so we will have jobs to do. But to bring homosexuality is destruction. If our children learn this thing, it is death that will befall us. It’s bad. We won’t accept. So the government should not accept it here,” he said. To Abena Serwaa, a resident of Koforidua who sells second hand clothing, curse will befall Ghana if it legalises homosexuality citing Sodom and Gomorrah in the Bible as an example. She prefers that Ghanaians would die of hunger than the government getting money from pro-LGBTQ+ nations to promote homosexuality in Ghana. “I appeal to Akufo-Addo to pray well over this and allow the Holy Spirit to work in him. This is a demonic power that is rising and so if he (the president) allows the Holy Spirit work in him, he will overcome it,” Akua Serwaa said. Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093