Politics

Mr. Bernard Blay, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary candidate for Bia West Constituency of the Western North Region, has donated 20 dual desks to Kwame Tawiah Krom (KTK) D/A Primary School in the Bia West District.

Mr. Blay also donated sports equipment to the Bia West District Education Sports Committee to support the basic school sports.

The items include, footballs, volleyball, javelin poles among others.

He said the donation of the furniture followed an appeal made by the Headmaster of the School, to help address the furniture challenges facing the smooth running of the School, especially for primary one.

According to him, inadequate furniture have been one of the major problems in the District, which had resulted in school pupils sitting on the floor during class periods.

Mr. Blay said the donation was the first batch of furniture to be supplied in his effort to stem the furniture problem in the Bia District and also to improve upon education.

He in this regard urged the pupils to reciprocate the gesture by studying hard to enable them reach the highest level of education.

Mr Blay also used the opportunity to advise his constituents to follow the directives and measures of the government, to protect the public from contracting the coronavirus.

Mr. Gyan Andrews, Headmaster of the School, on behalf of the staff and pupils, expressed his profound gratitude to the aspirant for the timely intervention to solve the furniture challenges facing the School.

Source: GNA

The Bono Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party Kwame Baffoe Abronye has said Ghana officially has two viruses threatening the lives of its citizens, which is the COVID-19 pandemic and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Speaking on UTV’s 10pm late news monitored by MyNewsGh.com, Abronye DC was reacting to news of the NDC formation of a COVID-19 Response team which he believes is mischievous adding that the NDC has always been a virus in the lives of Ghanaians.

According to him, NDC is Ghana’s major problem as Bokoharam is Nigeria’s major problem.

“NDC who have formed a committee we won’t work with them. When you go to Nigeria their main problem is Boko Haram, when you go to Iran it is ISIS. When you come to Ghana it is NDC, so we have coronavirus plus coronavirus so it will not work. The Ghana coronavirus is more deadly than the new one.” He fumed.

“You see, NDC has been Ghana’s problem. The NDC who couldn’t buy an ambulance with all their experts. They bought Aboboyaa not ambulances. This people, where were their experts when they were saying we should evacuate our people in China? Who gave them that advice?” added.

Reacting to comparisons between the Ebola outbreak and the COVID 19 Abronye said it is ignorance to compare the two.

“Ebola was an African epidemic, corona is worldwide so the NDC should stop comparing the two. Those who agree with the comparison don’t know anything.” He explained.

Despite his rants, the newly commissioned COVID-19 Response Team of the opposition NDC led by former Health Minister Alex Segbefia and former Chief of staff Prosper Bani will today, Thursday, 26 March 2020 engage President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in a dialogue to explore optimum strategies that the government will have to deploy in bid to combat the deadly Coronavirus in the country.

Source: mynewsgh

The National Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Sammi Awuku has described as “unpresidential”, former President Mahama’s decision to form a COVID-19 response team.

Former President and Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama, on Sunday, March 22, 2020, revealed that the opposition party has submitted a proposal of a national action plan on combating the Coronavirus disease to the Speaker of Parliament.

NDC COVID-19 Response Team

Speaking at a church service to end a three-day prayer and fasting organised by the NDC, he also announced the formation of a technical team to spearhead the affairs of the national action plan, pointing it out that it is evidence of their commitment to assisting the government in the fight against the pandemic.

“I have also already announced that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is committed to assisting government in this fight by availing all technical and logistical resources at our disposal. As evidence of our seriousness in that respect, we have assembled a technical team to guide our efforts and to lead the NDC’s response to the evolving situation. The team is an assembly of experts from the many fields that will be required to implement a national action plan on COVID-19,” Mahama reportedly said.

Politicizing Coronavirus Situation

But some have questioned the rationale for and the terms of reference of this response team since they consider it an unnecessary favour seeking attempt by the opposition party.

Unpresidential Conduct

Speaking to this on Peace FM’s morning show ‘Kokrokoo’, Sammi Awuku who commended President Akufo-Addo for his proactiveness in curbing the spread of the scourge, indicted the NDC leader for seeking attention in dire moments for political gain by arrogating unto itself the powers to set up parallel structures to counter that of the state.

”I am struggling to understand former President Mahama and the NDC. Do we establish opposition NADMO in times of floods?” he quizzed.

“…Mahama’s conduct was not presidential…there was no need to form any committee except for political gain. They have travelled beyond basic politics. What kind of suggestions are they going to give? Politicizing this is the lowest point in this whole discussion…

“…every step of the Government goes a long way to help curb the spread of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The government has recalled all retired health experts to help curb the spread of the disease…This is not the time to play politics but I was surprised to realize that the leader of the NDC has set up a covid-19 response team. There is no country where an opposition party has set up a response team. what is the terms of reference? It was a wrong move, totally needless and sought to politicize the situation and I think the former President’s conduct was not presidential at this point in time,” the NPP National Organiser said.

Members of NDC’s COVID-19 response team

1. Nana Kofi Quakyi (Assistant Professor in Public Health/Specialist in Health Economics)

2. Dr. Vida Yarkong (PhD in Interdisciplinary Medicine)

3. Dr. Prosper Akanbong – Immediate Past CEO of Tamale Teaching Hospital and Physician Consultant

4. Dr. Jehu Appiah: Senior Medical Consultant and former General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association

5. Prosper Bani – Former Minister of Interior and former Head of UNDP’s Crisis Prevention and Recovery Team for Africa

6. Dr. Zanetor Rawlings – Medical Doctor

7. Alex Segbefia – Former Minister of Health

8. Mintah Akandoh – Ranking Member on the Parliamentary Committee of Heath

9. Prof. Margaret Kweku – UHAS

10. Dr. Jonas Asamoah – Public Health Expert, Hawa Memorial Hospital, Osiem.

11. Mrs. Mawuena Trebarh – (Communications Specialist) NCB-HQ

Source: peacefmonline

Former President John Mahama has said he is ready to help President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his government to fight the upsurge of the novel coronavirus in the country.

According to him, he will extend his hand to the government and “share our experience in managing the Ebola crisis”.

In a Twitter post, the NDC flagbearer said “I will continue to extend a helping hand to the government and share our experience in managing the Ebola crises.”

“I do so with an open and willing heart. And I hope that the gesture will be received in the sincerity it was offered. The enemy before us is no respecter of person or party. We are all in this together,” he added.

Following the outbreak of pandemic coronavirus in the country, Mahama asked his former appointees who were involved in his government’s efforts towards preventing Ebola to help the health ministry as the country battles coronavirus.

“I have instructed my communications team and my public health advisors to support any efforts by the Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Health in this particular regard.

“I have also asked all former appointees of my administration who assisted in our readiness efforts during the ebola epidemic to aid the government in whatever way they can if requested to do so. This virus is an enemy to all Ghanaians, and the call to duty in the fight against it rises above partisanship and politics,” he added.

Ghana’s confirmed coronavirus cases jumped from 27 to 52 on Tuesday, March 24, 2020.

The 25 new cases were confirmed following tests of people the government quarantined after Ghana closed all its borders to human traffic.

Source: pulse.com.gh

The National Communication officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Sammy Gyamfi has schooled the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) on why it is important for NDC to form a rapid response team to help curb COVID-19 Pandemic.

According to him, the opposition has a role to play in educating and sensitizing the public on COVID-19.

Sammy Gyamfi on his Facebook wall listed the reasons for the NDC as a party to form the response team to help fight against the outbreak of Coronavirus in the country.

Read full statement below

1. Does the opposition have a role to play in educating and sensitizing the public on COVID-19? The answer Yes. So what’s wrong with the NDC putting together a team of health professionals to help with education and public sensitization on the pandemic?

2. Does the opposition have an advocacy role to play in the public discourse on covid-19? The answer is Yes. We receive invitations from media houses on a daily basis to speak on COVID-19.

So what’s wrong with putting together a team of health professionals and experts to lead our advocacy on the subject of COVID-19 alongside our regular party communicators?

3. Has President Akufo-Addo asked for a bi-partisan approach to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic or not? If yes what’s wrong if the NDC puts together a team of health professionals to offer support to government? Doesn’t the NDC have a right to participate in nation building? Or are our brothers in the NPP suggesting that they are all-knowing and have all the answers to the COVID-19 malaise?

4. Once upon a time, the NPP under the leadership of Candidate Akufo-Addo formed a shadow cabinet in this country yet nobody complained. The NPP should give us a break!

Source: peacefmonline

The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Mr. Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, has warned former President Mahama to put a stop to the “unnecessary interventions” he slips in, anytime President Akufo-Addo makes a serious statement about measures his government is setting in place to fight the Coronavirus.

Shortly after President Akufo-Addo appointed Dr. Anarfi Asamoa-Baah as the Presidential Coordinator for the Government’s coronavirus Response Programme, former President Mahama quickly responded that his party has also assembled a technical team to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress revealed that the team is made up of experts from the various fields that are required to implement a national action plan on COVID-19.

He revealed that some members of NDC’s Covid-19 response team include former Minister for Health, Alex Segbefia; Public Health Expert and Former Dean of School of Public Health, UHAS, Professor Margaret Kweku; Interdisciplinary Medicine Expert, Dr. Vida Yarkong and Senior Medical Consultant and former General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association, Dr. Jehu Appiah.

But Mr. Bernard Antwi-Boasiako responded that as the government put in measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, former President Mahama could earn himself some respect “if he would remain mute and stop countering President Akufo-Addo anytime he addresses the nation.”

He called on former President Mahama to spare the government the blushes since his actions over the period have proven that he works with an “unpatriotic team”.

The NPP Chairman popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, described the counter-reactions from the former President as “unnecessary jokes” and advised him to rather stick to the guild lines President Akufo-Addo has laid down in the wake of the pandemic.

The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has appointed Dr.AnarfiAsamoa-Baah, a former Deputy Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), as the Presidential Coordinator for the Government’s Coronavirus Response Programme.

In that role, Dr.Asamoa-Baah will be President Akufo-Addo’s point man for the response effort, and will be responsible for pulling together and coordinating all aspects of the response programme by Government.

Dr. Asamoa-Baah comes to the job with a suitable wealth of experience such as:

-supervising the creation of a new Health Emergency Programme in WHO following the Ebola outbreak in 2014,

-leading WHO’s work in developing the Ebola vaccine,

-leading the team that developed a formal process of quality control for the training and verification of Emergency Medical Teams,

-providing leadership for the development of the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework in 2011,

-leading the development of WHO R+D Blueprint to cut the time needed to develop and manufacture candidate products from years to months,

-chairing the WHO Senior Management Committee that developed strategies and plans for the control of epidemics (Ebola, Merco, Zika ,and Famine),

-leading the global efforts to develop a streamlined and integrated strategy for Neglected Tropical Diseases and in the process helped to coin the name “Neglected Tropical Disease”,

-supervising the technical development of a rapid and reliable diagnostic test suitable for use in resource restrained settings for sleeping sickness and Chagas disease,

-supervising the mapping of NTDs in sub-Saharan Africa, pinpointing areas of endemicity and allowing a much more targeted approach to mass drug administration and the surveillance needed to oversee its impact,

-developing technical strategies for the management of diseases with epidemic potential,

-working to establish vaccine stockpiles for meningitis, smallpox, cholera and yellow fever; and

-working to establish protocols for the management of hemorrhagic fevers.

Source: Peacefmonline

Speaker of Parliament, Prof Aaron Mike Oquaye silenced Minority Chief Whip, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak who made an attempt to school members of parliament on why they should not be wearing nose masks.

This comes after the Speaker ordered Members of Parliament (MPs) to wear nose masks during sittings.

Muntaka moved to correct the house on circumstances when a nose mask should be worn, per the WHO standards, but he was quickly interrupted by the speaker who ordered him to move on with other submissions.

The speaker refused the MP an opportunity to complete his statement about how parliament is ignorantly using these nose masks.

“I’m not using the mask because two days ago we had the opportunity of meeting the WHO and Ministry of Health and they cautioned…,” Muntaka addressed the house.

But before he could complete his statement, the Speaker interrupted saying, “Honourable I will not allow you to say this. Honorable please! If you have your reasons why you didn’t wear the mask, keep your reasons to yourself. Honorable!.”

Meanwhile, as part of measures to prevent the possible spread of coronavirus, the Speaker has directed that all staff and members of parliament who recently traveled to infected countries must self-quarantine themselves upon return.

Source: ghanaweb

Minority Chief Whip, Mohammed Muntaka, Mubarak has chided the Speaker of Parliament Prof Mike Aaron Ocquaye for holding proceedings though the house fell short of the constitutionally required quorum.

His comments come on the back of the the House deliberating on the Corporate Insolvency bill 2019.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament today, he raised concerns on the need for the speaker to observe article 104 of the constitution.

The said article stipulates that ” 104. (1) Except as otherwise provided in this Constitution, matters in Parliament shall be determined by the votes of the majority of members present and voting, with at least half of all the members of Parliament present. (2) The Speaker shall have neither an original nor casting vote.

According to the minority chief whip, it is illegal for the speaker to carry on proceedings which require members to take a decision on the Bill under consideration.

On his part as the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, called out the minority chief whip for not being circumspect with his pronouncements.

Source: ghanaweb

The Electoral Commission Tuesday said it has not abandoned its plan to compile a new voters register for the 2020 General Election.

However, it will in due course announce a new date for the exercise in line with the ban against public gathering announced by the President on Sunday night.

In a statement issued by Public Relations outfit of the EC and copied to the Ghana News Agency, in Accra, the Commission expressed concern about the information in sections of the media to the effect that the exercise, had been cancelled due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 in Ghana.

“The Commission wishes to state that the compilation of the New Voter’s Register has not been cancelled.

“Plans are far advanced for the successful take-off of the registration process”.

It assured the public that it was taking the necessary steps to guarantee the safety of the citizenry and safeguard them from the virus.

” In this regard, the Electoral Commission will put in place concrete measures, including providing sanitizers at all polling stations and providing a conducive atmosphere at all registration centres so as to protect its stakeholders from the virus among others.

“The public is entreated to prepare for the upcoming Voters’ Registration exercise, under the theme,

“ELECTIONS 2020 – Towards Free, Fair, Transparent, Credible and Peaceful Elections in Ghana”.

Source: GNA

While some Ghanaians have lauded the president’s directive on public gatherings due to the recent increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the country, the opposition party, National Democratic Congress thinks otherwise.

According to Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary of the NDC, the real intention of the ban on public gatherings by the president is to rig the 2020 elections.

“This whole announcement of emergency ban, emergency here, stopping this gathering, stopping that gathering, in my view, on the surface, it will appear to the world that the president is acting to deal with the COVID-19 and so on.

But the real intention is not to deal with COVID-19 at all. The real intention is to find space to put the pieces of the rigging equipments together. So that by the time anybody could say jack, the election has been compromised,” he said in an interview monitored by GhanaWeb.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Sunday announced some bold directives as part of measures to stop the spread of coronavirus in the country.

The President placed a ban on church-related activities, mosques prayers, and all other public gatherings exceeding 25 persons. That was during his second address to the nation on the Coronavirus update.

He also directed airlines to stop bringing in travellers from countries that have recorded over 200 cases of coronavirus effective Tuesday, March 17, 2020.

Social media reaction to Asiedu Nketia’s comment

Social media users are divided over the comments made by the NDC Secretary. According to some, politicizing such a deadly issue is below the belt and uncalled for.

“This man paaaa…..you still don’t have a clue on what has engulfed the world.? You’re thinking about the way to your stomach. When issues if life and death are being dealt with, you’re thinking about the election as if you have not enjoyed enough. Let’s be serious, Johnson Nketia,” one Dela Clinton wrote on Facebook.

Another user also wrote “I do support the part that the registration must halt, but with the issue of election rigging being the rationale behind this emergency pronouncement? Oh, come on Mr Secretary, that cheap politics and propaganda.”

“How on earth can you politicize the issue on ground. Are you thinking at all? Or you think it’s all about you and NDC. Do you listen to yourself? Are you aware most hit countries have initiated self-quarantine measures by asking citizens to stay at home, companies have also instructed staff to work from home.? Please for once think about the well being of people that vote you guys into power,” Adebayor Kunah questioned.