Consider appointing one of the very hardworking party member from Binduri Central–Akufo-Addo told
Citizens of the Binduri district of the Upper East Region led by the governing NPP Philip Ayamba have cautioned the President to be mindful of who to appoint as his representative for the people of Binduri in his second term in office. According to the citizens of Binduri, their contention is that Mr. Ayinga Abagri worked so hard during the first term of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and that endeared the people of the District/ Constituency who expressed their gratitude by voting for the NPP’s Parliamentary Candidate in the December 2020 Election. Weeks after the general election, the party executives hurriedly appealed for the President to retain Mr. Ayinga Abagre Yakubu, District Chief Executive (DCE) for Binduri. A statement signed by Constituency Chairman Ayaago Samuel and sixteen others said the allegiance and unity accorded the constituency by Mr. Abanga Abdulai and Mr. Abagre Yakubu is unparalleled and thus, convinced the two will offer unflinching support to his government both at the top level and at the grassroots. “As far as election 2020 is concerned, the two gentlemen in the Constituency have proven themselves worthy of being part of your government as they were working tirelessly with the grassroots to ensure that we in the NPP snatched the seat from the NDC party and they, Honorable Abanga Abdulai (MP) and Honourable Ayinga Abagre Yakubu, (DCE) were the brains behind this feat,” the executives said in a statement. An assertion the citizens of Binduri described as been far from the truth. Per the 2016 & 2020 election results figures attached on the press statement issued on 2nd March 2021 by Citizen of Binduri, Mr. Abagri lost his polling station to NDC, and to them, that is a clear indication showing that he worked behind the scene to undermine the Party’s campaign in the constituency. Several things can be mentioned to support the position that Mr. Ayinga Abagri worked against the campaign of the Party in the constituency. According to Citizens of Binduri, “the real contributors to the electoral victory of Honorable Abdulai Abanga and NPP in Binduri are, the unity with which Party Elders & Patrons most of whom came from Binduri Central brought to bear on the campaign, key Party individuals who have always played significant roles in the affairs of the NPP in the Binduri Constituency, the resolute Youth from the Binduri Community who after heeding to the advice of some committed patrons of the Party decided to very strongly come out to campaign for both the President and the then PC (Hon. Abdulai Abanga), and the highly commendable role played by various Election &Votes Collation Day’s Party Agents including most especially the IT Co-ordination Team”. However, they have registered their displeasure indicating that, if Mr. Ayinga Abagri is mistakenly retained as the DCE for the district, they the Binduri people will resist such appointment to the fullest. Meanwhile, they extended their appreciation to the President for appointing their illustrious Son Stephen Yakubu as the Upper East Regional Minister. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093
Breaking: Aduana Stars Defender Arrested Over Killing Of Police Officer
Defender of Dormaa based Aduana Stars, Farouk Adams has been arrested for incidentally killing a police officer. Farouk Adams hit the police officer who has been identified only as Mando with his vehicle on the Wamfie road killing him on the spot. The officer had closed from a shift at Asuotiano Berekum road and was returning home when the incident occurred. The footballer is currently in police custody assisting with investigations. Ghanaxtra.com
Domelevo is Togolese, not Ghanaian — Audit Service Board as it challenges his retirement age
The Audit Service Board is challenging the nationality and retirement age of Auditor-General, Daniel Yao Domelevo. The board says Mr. Domelevo is a Togolese and was born in 1960 hence was due for retirement on 1st June 2020. In a series of correspondence between the Chairman of the Audit Service Board, Prof. Edward Dua Agyeman and Mr. Domelevo, the Audit Service board said it had discovered such irregularities and anomalies and requested an explanation. In providing details to its claim, the Audit Service Board said in a letter dated 26th February 2021 that, “Records at the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) completed and signed by you indicate your date of birth as 1st June 1960 when you joined the scheme on 1st October 1978. The records show that you stated your tribe as Togolese and a non-Ghanaian. That your home town is Agbatofe.” “On 25th October 1992, you completed and signed a SSNIT Change of Beneficiary Nomination form, stating your nationality as a Ghanaian and your home town as Ada in the Greater Accra Region. The date of birth on your Ghanaian passport number A45800, issued on 28th February 1996 is 1st June 1961. That place of birth is stated as Kumasi, Ashanti Region,” the correspondence stated. But Domelevo in a written response to the letter explained that his grandfather was a native of Ada in the Greater Accra Region but migrated to Togo and stayed at Agbatofe. He indicated that his father Augustine Domelevo migrated from Togo to the then Gold Coast. “Either my father wrongly mentioned Agbatofe in Togo as his home town to me, or I misconstrued it at the time… My mother is also a Ghanaian,” he explained. On his true date of birth, Mr. Domelevo said he noticed that the 1960 date of birth was a mistake “when I checked my information in the baptismal register of the Catholic Church in Adeemmra.” “The register has Yaw as part of my name and also provides my date of birth as 1st June 1961 – this corresponds with Thursday or Yaw- the day of the week on which I was born.” But the Audit Service Board in a letter dated March 2, 2021, said Mr. Domelevo’s explanation of his nationality and narration of his grandfather’s migration is irrelevant. The letter further described Mr. Domelevo’s answer to the issue of his date of birth as being inconsistent. On Domelevo’s reference to his baptismal certificate to confirm his date of birth, the Board said that the document “is not a valid document to authenticate your date of birth.” Again, the Board said Mr. Domelevo’s reference to a Parish Priest and provision of his contact for further verification of his date of birth is not admissible. “Observation of your responses and explanations contained in your above reference letter make your date of birth and Ghanaian nationality even more doubtful and clearly establishes that you have made false statements contrary to law.” The Board consequently insisted that Mr. Domelevo was due for compulsory retirement on June 1, 2020, and was in fact not a Ghanaian but a Togolese. “Records made available to the Board indicate that your date of retirement was 1st June 2020 and as far as the Audit Service is concerned you are deemed to have retired,” it noted. The Board further added that it was informing President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo about the development for him to take the necessary action. “By a copy of this letter, the board is informing the President who is your appointing authority to take necessary action. Additionally, the board is making available to the President all the relevant documents at our disposal.” Chronicles of Domelevo’s woes Mr. Domelevo was asked to proceed on his accumulated leave of 123 days but had the duration extended by 44 more days to include his leave for the year 2020 other than just the initial leave period calculated from his 2017 to 2019 working years. The Auditor-General was said to have made use of only nine out of his 132 annual leave since assuming office in December 2016. Earlier this year, there were unconfirmed media reports that the Auditor General was to resume work on January 11, 2021, but Mr. Domelevo in a social media post clarified that his leave rather ends on March 2, 2021. He disclosed that he will however go to the office on March 3. Controversial as it was at the time, about 1,000 Ghanaians in Ghana and abroad, led by Korieh Duodu and Lolan Sagoe-Moses signed a petition presented to the Presidency demanding a reversal of the leave directive to Mr. Domelevo. They noted that, the President’s directive, issued in a letter dated 30th June 2020, renders the Auditor-General, an independent constitutional officer mandated with auditing the accounts of all Ghanaian public institutions, incapable of performing his duties. But the Presidency said the leave order could not be reversed. Domelevo’s 167-day accumulated leave ends; set to resume work Domelevo had said he will be at post on Wednesday, March 3, 2021, following the expiration of his 167 days forced annual leave which began on July 1, 2020. Domelevo vs Osafo Maafo in $1m Kroll case Prior to the leave order, Mr. Domelevo was facing a lawsuit from the former Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, and four others, who were challenging a $1 million surcharge. In May 2020 however, he was found guilty of contempt for failing to respond to the suit. The Senior Minister and four other officials from the Ministry of Finance sued Mr. Domelevo to clear their names in relation to what was said to be breaches of the Public Procurement Act (PPA) that resulted in their payment of US$1 million to a private UK firm, Kroll and Associates. They maintain that the Auditor-General erred in law and professional procedures. The government also held that Mr. Domelevo did not go through proper constitutional practice before going public and announcing the findings. citinewsroom Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications.
Domelevo ends his 167-days leave today.
Auditor-General Daniel Yaw Domelevo’s 167-day forced leave ends today, Tuesday, 2 March 2021. Mr Domelevo is, therefore, expected to resume work tomorrow, Wednesday, 3 March 2021. There were unconfirmed rumours in early 2021 that Mr Domelevo was set to resume work in January. However, in a social media post, the Auditor-General indicated that his 167-day leave would end on 2 March 2021. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo directed Mr Domelevo to take his accumulated annual leave of 123 working days effective Wednesday, 1 July 2020 but later increased it to 167 following a protest letter from the A-G. A statement released by the office of the President and signed by the Director of Communications, Mr Eugene Arhin, on Monday, 29 June 2020, said: “The President’s decision to direct Mr Domelevo to take his accumulated annual leave is based on Sections 20(1) and Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651), which apply to all workers including public office holders such as the Auditor-General.” Mr Domelevo was said to have taken only nine days of his annual leave. But reacting to the directive from the president in a letter addressed to Nana Asante Bediatuo, the Secretary to the President, Mr Domelevo said: “My knowledge of recent labour and practice in the country is that no worker is deemed to have accumulated any leave on account of their having failed, omitted, neglected or even refused to enjoy their rights to annual leave, which the law guarantees for their benefit, not the employer.” He stated that to the best of his knowledge, therefore, “wherein any given year a worker fails, omits, neglects or even refuses to take their annual leave such leave is deemed forfeited with no corresponding obligation on the part of the employer to enforce the workers right to take their leave by assuming, deeming or declaring the forfeited leave accumulated.” “I am also informed that by law, every person is entitled in some in very limited circumstances, to wave what the law has ordained for their benefit, in this case, a worker’s leave. Be that as it may, the directive that I proceed on leave and hand ‘over all matters relating to the office to Mr Johnson Akuamoah’ with all due respect has serious implications for the institutional independence of the office of the auditor general,” the letter said. A petition presented to the office of the President, signed by some 1,000 Ghanaians living abroad and led by Lolan Sagoe-Moses and Korieh Duodu, with regard to Mr Domelevo’s leave directive, asked that the directive be reversed, noting that it would make him incapable of acting as Auditor-General. The petition stated: “We question how the public is expected to consider such a decision as made in good faith, in circumstances where the Auditor-General is essentially being asked to make himself well-rested and refreshed for the commencement of his retirement. Mr Domelevo’s absence, during this 167-day period, would mean he will not be able to actively execute his Constitutionally-prescribed role as protector of the public purse during the crucial 6 month period before the general election, a period.” However, responding to the petition from the Ghanaians abroad, Secretary to the President, Nana Asante Bediatuo indicated that President Akufo-Addo’s stance on the leave directive had not changed. Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093
Robbers attack bullion van ferrying CAL Bank cash in daylight operation at Baatsona Spintex
There is suspicion from all sides as armed robbers in a broad daylight operation attacked a bullion van carrying an unspecified amount of money belonging to CAL Bank. The robbery operation took place behind Danpong Hospital and in front of Harvest Christian Academy on the Spintex Road, Baastona. At the back of the hospital, the road is unmotorable and untarred. According to a police report intercepted by MyNewsGh.com, at about 3:30 pm yesterday, police control received a call about the robbery where onlookers had gathered. Eyewitnesses account was that at about 3:30 pm, the bullion van was seen coming from Danpong Hospital direction ahead of a black Toyota Camry towards the main Addogonno road linking Baatsonaa and Nungua. Just opposite the Harvest Academy, the black Camry overtook the bullion van and abruptly stopped. One of the occupants quickly came down and gave a warning shot into the air and quickly, the driver of the bullion van and one other got down and escaped through the school leaving only the Police Officer in the car. According to an eyewitness account, the Policeman was ordered out of the bullion van by the robbers who numbered four. They assaulted him with a mallet and again ordered him to lie down on the road. They disarmed him and took away his Service rifle. The robbers used the mallet to damage both the padlock and the second lock on the bullion and packed the money and escaped with it in the waiting black camry. A shot taken by an eyewitness shows that the registration number of the black camry which police believe to be fake was GX 6337-14. The driver of the Bullion van, a staff of CAL Bank, Baatsona Branch, one Ebo Amissah appeared later at the scene with other officials from the bank. According to the driver, at about 3:30 pm, he was from Paa Nii Agency dealers of building materials accompanied by a colleague CAL Bank personnel named Elijah Asante and the policeman identified as Evans Baafi of Sakumono Police Station with the cash when they were suddenly overtaken by the robbers and got them robbed. Besides the cash, the amount of which is unspecified, one Samsung tablet and two CAL Bank cheques from Paa Nii Agency with face values of GH¢17,000 and GH¢50,000 each were also taken by the robbers. According to the bullion driver, the Police Officer and his colleague sustained injuries so they both joined a Police vehicle to be sent to the hospital. Information indicates that the Policeman is receiving treatment at the Police Hospital. In the course of combing the area, one Philip Tamakloe aged 26 of Addogonno was arrested by Police Patrol on suspicion that he might be part of the gang. Three spent and one live AK 47 ammunition were collected from the scene. Investigation is ongoing. Suspect Philip Tamakloe has been detained for thorough interrogations. MyNewsGH Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093
UER: People of Upper East wished Regional Minister designate Stephen Yakubu well ahead of March 4 vetting
Upper East Regional Minister-designate will be appearing before the vetting committee on Thursday, March 4, 2021. The people of Upper East including the outgoing Regional Minister were very optimistic the Regional Minister-designate will go through a successful vetting process. During an exclusive interview published by Apexnewsgh.com on January 25, 2021, the Upper East Regional Minister-designate Stephen Yakubu pointed that the people of the Upper East Region will get the larger share of the resources which be shared by the government, adding that he is going to fight one on one for it. “We are developing even Volta Region where we know that is not even our stronghold. So, as for the government, the government doesn’t distribute resources based on voting patterns. We even want to develop where people don’t like you more so that next time, the people will like you and vote for you. I am very sure that Upper East will get the larger share of the resources that they are going to share and am going to fight for that one on one for it”. “So, what am going to be concentrating on is, how to pull more resources into the region, not only even from the government but, also from other investment into the region. Because Private investment even creates more jobs than the government. Let’s do things differently and achieve different results”. He told Apexnewsgh.com However, people of the Upper East Region are throwing their support to Mr. Yakubu as they pray for a successful March 4 vetting. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: +233555568093
Opera and MTN Extend Their Partnership in Ghana Bringing Millions Of Users Online With New Free Browsing Program
Today, the Norwegian browser developer Opera and leading telecommunication operator MTN, announced the extension of their partnership in Ghana and celebrated it with the re-launch of a new Free Browsing program. The new free browsing program provides MTN customers in Ghana up to 1.5 GB of monthly free data when they browse with the popular Opera Mini browser. “We are glad to extend our partnership with MTN in Ghana and look forward to bringing more people online in 2021”, said Jørgen Arnesen, EVP of Mobile Browsers at Opera. “At Opera we believe that access to the web should be a universal right, therefore we decided to work with MTN in Ghana under the shared vision of bringing more people online by offering affordable access to the web through the Opera Mini browser”. Customers of MTN who have Opera Mini installed on their mobile devices will be able to start browsing for free. With free browsing, MTN customers can make more online purchases, check on the latest news, or simply find entertainment content they want or are interested in. “As MTN Ghana works to become a Digital Operator, we are conscious of the customer experience we deliver in our digital services. Together with Opera, we enable our customers with access to more online content so they keep engaged with their devices without worrying too much about their data expenses”, Sam Addo, Chief Enterprise Business Officer of MTN Ghana said. “We are excited about this partnership with Opera and we look forward to more offers to delight our customers”, he added. Opera Mini is a small, fast and powerful browser. It comes with unique features such as Data Compression, Offline File Sharing and built-in Ad-blocker. Opera Mini also enables access to free eBooks through the Worldreader speed dial and the music catalogue of the Kenyan music-streaming service-Mdundo allowing users to stream or download music through the Opera Mini browser. Today, Opera Mini is the browser of choice for over a 100million people around the world who choose it over pre-installed browsers on Android mobile devices. To enjoy the benefits of the free browsing package, MTN customers will have to install Opera Mini on their mobile Android devices. MTN customers who are not yet Opera Mini users, can download the app for free on Google Play Store. The free browsing package is capped to 50MB per day and it covers browsing only. Video streaming and file download will attract normal data charges. MTN’s partnership with Opera supports the digital drive of the business to achieve its vision ‘to lead the delivery of a bold new digital world to its customers’. Other digital interventions introduced for individuals and businesses is the Unlimited Business Broadband targeted at Small and Medium Enterprises, (SMEs), Small/Home Offices (SOHOs) as well as other organizations. MTN Business continues to offer solutions that enable individuals and businesses to access telecommunication services. Visit https://broadband.mtn.com.gh/business or by call 100 for more information. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093
PUBLIC SERVICE: MAKE CONDITION OF SERVICE IN RURAL AREAS MORE ATTRACTIVE- OLUMANBA TO GOVERNMENT
Young Political Activist, Emmanuel Abankwah Kesse widely known as Olumanba is advising the government to make condition of service of Public Servants in the rural areas look more attractive than those in the urban areas. According to him, life in the rural areas is very difficult as compared to the urban areas and over the past years, a lot of public servants have failed to accept transfers to rural areas because of insufficient social amenities in such areas. ‘Public Servants in the rural areas are really suffering. No portable water, no electricity, no recreational facility therefore making life in the rural areas unbearable for them’. ‘That is why a lot of public servants refuse to accept transfers to rural areas’. He has disclosed that, incentives and good remuneration can help curb this situation. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093
See the mood of Hawa Koomson, when she received the disapproval news
It was a sad moment when Hawa Koomson received the news of her disapproval by the minority side of the appointment committee. Indeed, no one is expected to be excited with disappointment especially when he/ she is expected to be approved as a fisheries Minister and later, the least you would hear from the Minority side of the Appointment Committee was that “you are not fit for the job” That is so painful. However, no one knows whether the Minority side of the Appointment Committee will reconsider their decision on the former Minister for Special Initiative. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093
Appointments Committee cannot approve or disapprove any nominee – Kweku Baako
Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, the Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper has opined that the Appointments Committee of Parliament cannot have the final say in the approval or disapproval of any of the ministerial nominees. According to him, the Appointments Committee can only recommend to the plenary about which nominees to approve or disapprove and the final decision must be made “by consensus or majority decision by the plenary”. Commenting on a Facebook post by US-based Ghanaian lawyer Stephen Kwaku Asare aka Kweku Azar, who suggested that the disapproval of Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah by the Appointments Committee, which Kweku Azar thinks the Majority of the plenary should reverse, Baako wrote: “but the Appointments Committee does not and cannot have a final say relative to the approval or disapproval process per the Standing Orders! It can only recommend approval by consensus or majority decision by the plenary. Baako added: “My research findings (so far) show that it is/was on only one occasion that it “unanimously” recommended outright disapproval/rejection of a nominee to the plenary. Even then, some amendments had to be effected on the Committee’s report at the plenary. “De jure no. De facto yes” notwithstanding! Respectfully!!” Kweku Baako Jnr. explained that he will be more comfortable with a recommendation from the Appointments Committee that appears negative because a negative recommendation to the House will “imply that the Committee’s report to the House is proposing that the nominees be either approved by consensus or majority decision (secret ballot)”. “I am saying there’s nothing unprecedented or unusual about that [disapproval] factor; the present numerical circumstances of parliamentary representation notwithstanding. There have been instances of nominees who deserved to have been approved by consensus but were subjected to the option of majority decision at the plenary. And that didn’t take anything substantially away from them. Nothing devastating in my candid opinion!” Baako observed. The Appointments Committee of Parliament has disapproved President Akufo-Addo’s candidates of ministers-nominee for Food and Agriculture, Information and Fisheries, namely Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, and Hawa Koomson, respectively, according to sources that cite Asaase Radio 99.5FM. The report stated that the Minority side of the committee was not happy with Oppong Nkrumah, accusing him of instigating the Supreme Court judges to cite Dr Dominic Ayine for contempt in the ongoing election 2020 petition hearing. On these rejections, Kweku Baako insists in his comment on Kweku Azar’s post: “I still don’t get your drift! Essentially and constitutionally, the Committee has no mandate (never had) to approve or disapprove any presidential nominee! NEVER! Some Committee recommendations have/had been disapproved by the plenary. These are part of the precedents and practices of the 4th Republican Parliament since 1993. Baako further argued: “The point about ‘otherwise, there is no need for the Committee and the plenary should just vote directly on the candidates’ is unsupported by the dictates of the Constitution and the Standing Orders. It just doesn’t arise. And I don’t want to speculate on that scenario. “It is not good not to come out of the Committee? Maybe. However, there may or could be many reasons why some nominees may “suffer” that deficit! I really do not put much premium on that factor, considering my estimation of the nature of the process…” Ghanaweb Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093