The law is not mandatory for the EC to supervise the parliamentary and presidential primaries–EC
Dr Serebour Quaicoe, Director of Electoral Services for the Electoral Commission (EC) has said, the law does not make it mandatory for the Electoral Commission to Supervise the Parliamentary and Presidential primaries. According to him, Is not good to go ahead to supervise election when people are contesting the register, because the foundation of any good election is the register. “So, before the court injection they have written to us and we have invited to meet. But before we could meet the injunction came”. He said Asking whether is Mandatory for the EC to supervise the primaries? The EC Director says, “This one, the law is not mandatory for us to supervise the primaries but the executive ones are mandatory. Meanwhile, Abraham Amaliba leader of the NDC legal team said, they are very aware that is not mandatory for the EC to supervise the upcoming primaries. According to Mr. Amaliba, they only decides to engage the Electoral Commission for transparency sake. It is not clear what the party decision we be. The injunction will be heard on Friday. Dr. Duffour filed an injunction application at the Accra High Court seeking to stop the elections over concerns about the electoral album. Among the reliefs he is seeking are declaration that the photo album register issued by the party is incomplete and inaccurate and that the party be ordered to prepare and deliver a complete and accurate photo album register to all the presidential aspirants at least five weeks ahead of the elections to enable the aspirants carry out the needed verification of the photo album register. However, Mr. Kojo Bonsu who also expressed dissatisfaction shared the same sentiments as Dr. Duffuor. Source: Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana For publication please kindly contact us on 0256336062 or Email apexnewsgh@gmail.com
Kojo Bonsu backs Dr. Duffuor’s call for primaries postponement
A flagbearer aspirant of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Kojo Bonsu has described going on within the NDC as serious ‘errors’ The former Kumasi Mayor has backed a request by his colleague aspirant Dr. Kwabena Duffuor for the May 13th presidential and parliamentary primaries to be postponed. Dr. Duffour filed an injunction application at the Accra High Court seeking to stop the elections over concerns about the electoral album. Among the reliefs he is seeking are declaration that the photo album register issued by the party is incomplete and inaccurate and that the party be ordered to prepare and deliver a complete and accurate photo album register to all the presidential aspirants at least five weeks ahead of the elections to enable the aspirants carry out the needed verification of the photo album register. However, Mr. Kojo Bonsu who also expressed dissatisfaction shared the same sentiments as Dr. Duffuor. “This is not a fight, they have to rectify it and they have to postpone the date of the election and rectify it.” The former Kumasi Mayor said. Source: Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana For publication please kindly contact us on 0256336062 or Email apexnewsgh@gmail.com
NDC hits with internal party war as Duffuor camp frowns over alleged rigging
“If the NDC, as a political organisation, can do this to ourselves in our intra-party elections, what do we expect from the Electoral Commission (EC) in the run-up to the 2024 elections?” Mr James Agbey, head of the Duffuor Campaign team’s security detail, has said. The Kwabena Duffuor campaign team said if the opposition National Democratic Congress as a party, could do this to their own, then they have no moral right to blame the Electoral Commission in the upcoming 2024 election when such issues are raised. “Can the NDC accuse the EC of electoral malfeasance and corruptible conduct when the party is trapped in the same scheme in its own backyard all in an attempt to give Mahama an undue advantage over other candidates?”Mr. Agbey asked “What is the point of intra-party politics and leadership if they can’t even publicly correct the record when they are wrong?” he asked. Mr. Agbey described the processes leading up to the primaries as a “charade” and “choreographed shenanigan” being masterminded by a “selfish” and “parochial” faction within the party’s national executives who are supporting and conniving with the Mahama camp to hijack and rig the entire election in his favour. “In fact, I do take issue with the manner the Mahama camp is conniving with the Functional Executive Committee (FEC) of the NDC to disenfranchise a good number of delegates and to rig the processes leading up to the forthcoming 13th May presidential primaries for Mahama”. He said: “The whole charade regarding the non-availability of a complete photo album for the elections is completely against the party’s rules of engagement”. Mr Agbey added: “Indeed, it is extremely dubious, criminal and illegal for the processes leading to the entire election to be hijacked by Mahama”. According to him, “this display of utter greed by Mahama to win at all cost, reeked of poor judgement and a complete lack of respect for the responsibility he holds as a leader”. “In my eyes, this is just the first shot in a series of campaigns to destabilise the NDC by the Mahama faction for their selfish and parochial agenda”, he noted. Dr Duffuor has filed processes at the court for an injunction on the presidential primaries scheduled for 13 May 2013. According to him, data from only 220 out of the 275 constituencies have been verified. He also said an exceptional list of 74,799 has been created which cannot be verified because of scanty information. For no credible reason, he noted, among others that 3,910 eligible voters at the 220 constituencies have been disenfranchised. Below is the full statement issued by Dr Kwabena Duffuor’s campaign team’s head of security: For Immediate Release Wednesday 10th May 2023 We’re ready to use legitimate force to deal with Mahama if need be. I, James Agbey, head of Security Detail of Duffuor 2024 campaign wishes to state unequivocally that the NDC belongs to all of us and we won’t sit down for Mahama to take us on a jolly ride. In fact, I do take issue with the manner the Mahama camp is conniving with the Functional Executive Committee(FEC) of the NDC to disenfranchise a good number of delegates, and to rig the processess leading up to the forthcoming 13th May presidential primaries for Mahama. The whole charade regarding the non-availability of complete photo album for the elections is completely against the party’s rules of engagement. Indeed, it is extremely dubious, criminal and illegal for the processes leading to the entire election to be hijacked by Mahama. This display of utter greed by Mahama to win at all costs reeked of poor judgement and a complete lack of respect for the responsibility he holds as a leader. In my eyes, this is just the first shot in a series of campaigns to destabilise the NDC by the Mahama faction for their selfish and parochial agenda. As one of those who served the party in the Greater Accra Region as Director of Security operations in 2020, and currently in charge of Dr Duffuor’s Security detail, this development made me very upset. It is upsetting to see the NDC swimming in the gutters to please one man at the expense of our collective good. As a matter of fact, Mahama’s resolute insistence to not follow the rules of engagement regarding this election shows a fundamental disdain for the concept of accountability. If the NDC, as a political organisation, can do this to ourselves in our intra-party elections, what do we expect from the Electoral Commission (EC) in the run-up to the 2024 elections? Can the NDC accuse the EC of electoral malfeasance and corruptible conduct when the party is trapped in the same scheme in its own backyard all in an attempt to give Mahama an undue advantage over other candidates? What is the point of intra-party politics and leadership if they can’t even publicly correct the record when they are wrong? This obviously is more likely strong evidence that Mahama and his supporters continue to muddy the waters or to put it more plainly deflect attention from their failures and misdemeanours. Allowing them to continue with this charade and the choreographed shenanigan is utterly abhorrent. At this juncture, let me sound a note of caution to all concerned, and warn that we’re ready to use legitimate force and every means under the sun to get Mahama out of the way and restore dignity and respect to the NDC. This election is totally different from the 2018 one, where Prof Joshua Alabi and Goosie Tanoh allowed Mahama to have his way. We are on a rescue mission to rescue the party from the claws of Mahama. Those of us on the Duffuor team are ready for Mahama and his diabolics. We are ready to bring an end to this opportunistic appropriation. I just wish the people who know better would sit up. But perhaps that cannot happen until we send out strong signals to them that we are ever ready to
Small Scale Farmers lack contracts and compensations for the job they render—ActionAid
The majority of the people are passing through some level of victimization at there various places of employment in the hands of those who employed them. Mostly, these workers are the engine, and if you like the success of the establishment where they work due to their hard work. In fact, without the workforce from these sets of people, the establishment where they work will not survive the test of time. But unfortunately, workers in these categories do not enjoy a decent working environment and any sort of social protection from their employers, making their lives difficult to cope with their families and friends, etc. However, as a social justice organization, ActionAid wants to make sure that the problem of people living in poverty is central to our day-to-day activities. Under the (Northern Ghana Integrated Project) (NGIP), which is sponsored by the EU, ActionAid, says, their primary thematic areas include social protection and decent labor. Using Agriculture as a case study, the communication/ Public Relation Manager of ActionAid Ghana Esther Ohenewaa Brown said, throughout the preparation time, they have undertaken a number of studies and found that there are many obstacles to meaningful employment within the Agriculture value chain, where the project is located. Some small-scale farmers lack contracts with agribusinesses and are not compensated for the labor they perform. Based on that, in a two-day engagement programme organized by ActionAid in Bolgatanga, journalists in the Upper East Region have been taken through some education about decent work and social protection. Journalists are expected to fight for the poor marginalized farmer whose employer is taking advantage of them, journalist in the region are expected to hold authorities accountable in making sure laydown procedures are followed in terms of having contracts with agribusinesses and compensation for the labor they offer. Source: Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana For publication please kindly contact us on 0256336062 or Email apexnewsgh@gmail.com