I won’t hesitate to withdraw your licenses – Mustapha Hamid warns OMCs
The Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid has said that the NPA will not hesitate to revoke the licenses of industry players who continually flout the rules. Dr. Abdul-Hamid said this at a meeting with board members of the Association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMCs) at GIMPA on Monday. The meeting was part of his stakeholder engagements, meant to open channels of dialogue for the smooth operation of the industry. “We shall not hesitate to revoke the licenses of industry players who continually flout the rules. Over the years, the NPA has been too lenient with people who flout the rules. And this has given opportunity to many people to flout these rules with impunity” he said. “We cannot all be in a conspiracy to run down our country and yet turn round and blame government for what goes wrong” Dr. Abdul-Hamid added. Dr. Abdul-Hamid said, illegal bunkering, third-party supplies and failure to pay taxes and levies due government are all gross violations of the law and henceforth, those found culpable will face the full sanctions as permitted by law. The CE of NPA told the oil marketers that it is in their own interest that the market is regulated properly. “Otherwise, when the industry collapses, your businesses will collapse with it” he added. The Chief Executive whilst seeking the support of AOMCs in order to sanitize the industry assured them the authority will itself play by the rules and ensure an even playing field. “The lawyers tell us that they who seek equity must come with clean hands” Dr. Hamid stated. He therefore urged them to play by the rules, so that they will have the moral authority to demand same from the regulator. The CE of NPA said that after 16 years of operation, the NPA Act (Act 691) will be reviewed to meet with current trends in the downstream petroleum industry. Dr. Abdul-Hamid said that in reviewing the NPA Act, the licensing and inspections regime will be looked at, to make sure that those who acquire OMC licenses really have the capacity to operate in the industry. He lamented the situation where many OMCs currently fall short of the requirements for holding their licenses and said that soon, all such licenses will be revoked. “As the industry is being sanitized, all those who have fallen short of the requirement will have their licenses revoked, he said. The Chief Executive of the AOMCs, Mr Kwaku Agyemang-Duah appealed to the NPA to take steps to check the activities of some new entrants who are taking advantage of some loop holes in the sanctions regime to make quick money. Mr. Agyeman-Duah said the failure on the part of the NPA to check such people is a disincentive to those who play by the rules. Mr. Agyeman-Duah introduced Mr Felix Gyekye, the Vice-Chairman of the association as the new Chairman following the resignation of its Chairman, Mr Henry Akwaboah. On his part, Mr. Gyekye said they were glad that Dr. Abdul-Hamid is committed to tackling the problems of the industry head-on. He assured the NPA, that the AOMCs will support the NPA to sanitize the industry. —Starrfm Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
Man, 54, jailed 9 years for pouring acid on ex-lover and mother
A Koforidua Circuit Court has sentenced a 54-year-old man to 9 years and five months imprisonment for attacking his 22-year-old ex-girlfriend and mother at Awukugua in the Eastern Region. The convict, Nana Yaw Mante launched the acid attack on the victims in December 2020 while they were in their room at Awukugua. Both women sustained severe injuries. The incident occurred few months after the convict was slapped with a fine of GHC1,200 and a compensation of GHC1000 by a magistrate Court in Koforidua for taking and circulating nude pictures of his 22-year-old ex-girlfriend. He was cautioned to stay away from her. Delivering the latest judgement, Her Honour Mercy Addei Kotei took into consideration the previous conviction to apply the maximum sentence. According to her, the sentence was set at 9 years and five months instead of ten years because the convict had been on remand for five months. Nana Yaw Mante was charged for obscenity contrary to section 281(i) B of the Criminal Offence Act, 29/60b in his previous case at Koforidua Magistrate Court “A”. The Prosecutor, Sergeant George Defia told the Court that the convict and the victim, a Senior High School dropout are both natives of Awukugua in the Okere District of the Eastern Region. According to the prosecuting officer, four (4) years ago, the accused met the victim who had dropped out of school due to financial challenges, and under the pretext of assisting her to go back to school, took undue advantage and entered into a sexual relationship with her. The family of the victim became suspicious and confronted him but he denied having sexual relations with the victim. Due to persistent disapproval from the victim’s family, the relationship hit a snag. However, in 2019, the accused convinced the victim and they reunited. Mr Mante, for fear of losing the victim again, told her that he had taken her to a shrine and the gods were demanding to see her nakedness. In November 2019, the convict lured the victim to Dawu near Adukrom-Akuapem where he recorded a series of sexually explicit videos of themselves. He later sent the videos and pictures of the victim to her aunty and two other men, he alleged were also dating the victim. The videos went viral on social media in February 2020. The victim reported the incident to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) at the Regional Police Headquarters in Koforidua. Mr Mante was arrested on February 7, 2020, and in his caution statement admitted recording the sexually explicit videos of the victim and sharing same. The receivers of the videos confirmed to the Police during interrogation that the accused sent it to them but denied circulating on social media. During cross-examination, Nana Yaw Mante who claims to be a businessman told the court on Wednesday, May 27, 2020, that, the victim insulted him and threatened to forward the nude videos and pictures he sent to her privately, to his son and some political rivals. But she denied the allegation during her cross-examination. Again, the accused told the Court that, the then 18-year-old girl forced him to date her. He explained that he reunited with the victim in 2019 after a breakup in 2018 because, the victim begged for the reunion. However, the judge did not take any of his pleas and went ahead to slap him with the jail term. —Adomonline Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
We’ll contest Assin North court ruling – Minority
The minority in Parliament says it will contest the ruling of a high court in Cape Coast which annulled the 2020 Assin North Parliamentary results and called for a re-run of the elections. The court also directed the National Democratic Congress’ James Gyakye Quayson from holding himself as MP. The petitioner Mr Michael Ankomah-Nimfa, filed processes at the Cape Coast High Court to annul the declaration of Mr James Gyakye Quayson as the Member of Parliament for the constituency. The NDC candidate polled 17,498 votes in the 2020 general elections to beat the NPP’s Abena Durowaa Mensah’s 14,793. It later emerged that Mr Quayson held dual citizenship contrary to Article 94 (2) (a) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, which states: ‘A person shall not be qualified to be a Member of Parliament if he – (a) owes allegiance to a country other than Ghana’. Reacting to the court ruling, the Minority in a press conference on Wednesday, 28 July 2021 said they will appeal the ruling. Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu told the media “He [Quayson] won outright as a citizen, born and bred in that community but for some time had to settle in Canada. He subsequently, as I understand, renounced his citizenship, express so far back in 2019, got his certificate at least before the elections. “We in the minority remain unshaken, we are confident that it is our seat, it’ll remain our seat. Our first option is to use the same legal processes and legal forum and opportunities available within the constitution.” Mr Iddrisu indicated that “we will contest the ruling, the judge erred both in law and in facts. It’s a travesty of justice. What is worrying, we don’t want to believe that the courts of Ghana have been captured and the courts of Ghana have become forums being used surreptitiously to tilt the balance of power. “We are equal, 137-137. What is happening is the courts are now being used to tilt the balance of power and to weaken the time-tested historical notion of checks and balances.” He insisted that “justice must not only be done but must manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done. What happened this morning in Cape Coast, we are told that even when the Supreme Court of Ghana directed Hon Quayson and his legal team to go and file appropriate legal motions for the matter to be referred to the Supreme Court, he was denied that. That is repugnant and upfront to his right to a fair trial guaranteed under Article 19 of the 1992 construction.” “Danger begets our democracy with the developments happening,” he added. —Classfm Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
Assin North: Another trouble for NDC’s Gyakye Quayson as NPP Secretary files criminal case
There is more trouble for the embattled NDC Member of Parliament for Assin North, Joe Gyakye Quayson, after the High Court in Cape Coast declared the polls that elected him in the 2020 parliamentary election as null and void. After losing the case against the petitioner, Michael Ankumah Nimfa, the Central Regional Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party, Richard Takyi Mensah, has also filed a fresh criminal case against Mr. Gyakye Quayson, who can no longer hold himself as the MP for Assin North. The complaint filed at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service is to investigate his participation in a number of unlawful activities, including his participation in the election of the Speaker of Parliament, although the High Court had barred Mr. Quayson from holding himself as an MP at the time. Speaking to Citi News shortly after Wednesday’s ruling, Henry Nana Boakye, who is the governing New Patriotic Party’s Youth Organizer and lawyer for the main petitioner in the dual citizenship case, said the outcome of the main case is welcoming. “Today’s [Wednesday, July, 28, 2021] judgement is an endorsement of our position that his election and even filing of nomination is in contravention of Article 94(2) of the constitution and also, section 9.2 of the Representation of People’s Act, PNDC Law 284, and prayed the court declared it illegal, null and void, and today [Wednesday] the court endorsed this position and ruled in favour of that position.” But he quickly added that his side is also collaborating with the CID to have further charges pressed against the MP for engaging in other illegalities. “Our Regional Secretary has made a formal complaint to the CID, so I am very sure that the CID in its judgement will consider it and critically assess it, and we’re also going on with the criminal proceedings. The laws have not changed regarding filing nominations and dual citizenship, so we are looking forward to the law taking effect. Don’t forget that before the swearing-in there was an injunction against him for holding himself up as an MP, and I am very sure that criminal charges will be pressed against him,” he said. The Cape Coast High Court in the Central Region has declared the 2020 parliamentary election held in the Assin North Constituency as null and void. The court has therefore ordered for a fresh election to be conducted in the constituency. This ruling was given on Wednesday, July 28, 2021, by the court presided over by Justice Kwasi Boakye. In his judgement, Justice Boakye upheld that, the National Democratic Congress’ 2020 parliamentary candidate for the constituency, Joe Gyakye Quayson breached the provisions of the constitution with regard to dual citizenship. The ruling means that the NDC’s seats in Parliament have dropped to 136 as against the NPP’s 137 until a by-election is held to determine who wins the seat. —modernghana Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093