Majority News Alert

07/04/2024

14/06/2020

12/06/2020

The Tamale interchange construction is about 40 per cent, says the Roads and Highways Minister, Kwasi Amoako-Atta.

12/06/2020

Welcome to the Magnificent Hohoe Stadium Project; kind courtesy of a Son of the Land, Hon. John-Peter Amewu, Minister For Energy.

The benefits of this staduim in Hohoe would surely transform the socio-economic journey of Hohoe especially the youth.

08/06/2020

EC submits legal basis for new register to Supreme Court.

The Electoral Commission (EC) has stated that the underlying legal reasons for its decision not to include the existing voter’s Identification Card (ID) in its upcoming registration exercise is because the Supreme Court itself has held that the register is reasonably not credible and that by implication, the cards issued pursuant to it are also reasonably not credible.

The EC made this accession in its thirty-one (31) page response to the order of a seven member Supreme Court panel on the 4th of June 2020, to provide legal basis for its decision to exclude the existing voter’s identity card from the list of IDs that are admissible for the upcoming voters registration exercise due to commence at the end of the month of June. The EC’s Supplementary Statement of Case was filed today Monday, the 8th of June 2020 in fulfillment of the timelines given by the Supreme Court.

Summary of EC Argument

“In summary, the following are the legal reasons why the 2nd Defendant (EC) is not allowing the existing voter identification cards to be used in the upcoming voter registration exercise” . 1. “The existing voter register which was compiled in 2012 pursuant to CI 72 and revised since by limited registration exercises has been held by this Honourable Court as not being reasonably credible. By implication, the cards issued pursuant to it are also not reasonably credible” the document entitled “Supplementary Statement of case of the 2nd Defendant pursuant to the orders of the Court dated 4th June 2020” said.

The supplementary statement filed by lawyer for the EC, Justin Amenuvor, further stated that, 2. “In respect of the cards issued pursuant to ci 12, the 2nd Defendant (EC) has found that those voter identification cards were issued without any form of identification at all and its ineligibilities, breaches and excesses were imported into the 2012 register pursuant to CI 72 in breach of Article 42 and displacing the credibility of the CI 12 cards”.

The third point of the EC is that “it found a fundamental omission in its training manual and the manner in which the voter registration exercise was carried out in 2012 partly in breach of its own binding CI 72 and also in breach of Article 42 of the constitution” . the fourth point is that “the 2nd Defendant wants a break from the past to remedy all the carried on ineligibilities, excesses and breaches of Article 42 as the existing cards have become fruits of a “poisoned tree”.

“It will be in continuous breach of article 42 of the constitution, to totally disregard this Honourable court’s own judgment to continue using the existing cards and It is in contravention of Section 8(1) of Act 750 (as amended) for the 2nd Defendant to accept the existing voter identification cards as a means of proving citizenship for the compilation of the new register” the Supplementary Statement said.

“Your Lordships, we (EC) submit that what Section 8(1) of Act 750 (as amended) has done is to effectively exclude the existing voter identification card as a form of identification for the purposes of proving citizenship which is the first and foremost qualification required of an individual applying to be registered as a voter. It is the considered opinion of the 2nd defendant (EC) that to accept any form of identification, including the existing voter identification cards, which is not provided for under Section 8(1) Act 750 (as amended) as a means of proving identification for the compilation of the new register will be in contravention of statute” the EC’s. Suoplementary Statement of Case noted in conclusion.

Argument of the NDC

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) through their lawyers have also filed a suppmementary statement of case. In it, they submitted that “the 2 Defendant (EC) has no legal basis to exclude the use of existing voter ID cards for the purposes of registration and that should this Court allow the 2nd Defendant to deny Ghanaian citizens the use of their existing voter ID cards for registration, it would impair the right of citizens to register and vote. That would be a dent on the gains made by this Court in giving life and meaning to Article 42 of the Constitution” the Statement of the NDC signed by lawyer Godwin Tamakloe said.

“We end by relying on the poignant statement by Kpegah JSC in Apaloo versus Electoral Commission supra at page 410 where His Lordship
stated:” Thus, consistent with our belief in and adherence to the
principle of universal adult suffrage, the right to register and vote is guaranteed every citizen of Ghana who is eighteen years or above and not of unsound mind. In the case of Tehn-Addy v Electoral Commissioner [1996-97] SCGLR 589, the plaintiff was denied the chance to register as a voter, and he brought an action claiming that the Electoral Commission had violated the Constitution, 1992. This court unanimously held that every sane Ghanaian citizen of eighteen years and above had the right under article 42 of the Constitution, 1992 to be registered as a voter. And that the constitutional right of voting was indispensable in the enhancement of the democratic
process and it could not be denied in the absence of a constitutional provision to that effect”. “The function of the 2″ Defendant under article 45(e) is to undertake programmes for the expansion of the registration of voters and not to undermine or place unnecessary impediments on registration. The 2 Defendant’s constitutional function includes making it easier to register to vote and not to place impediments on the enjoyment of that fundamental right to be registered and o vote” the Statement further said.

“In the circumstances, we invite this Honourable Court not to be frightened by the spectre of ghosts, minors and foreigners on the register. For ghosts may be able to receive salaries when on the payroll but cannot appear to vote when on the voter roll and foreigners and minors can be removed from the roll of voters if the 2nd Defendant is diligent and does its work well” the NDC Statement said in conclusion.

The Next Hearing

The seven-member Supreme Court panel with is presided over by the Chief Justice, Justice Anin Yeboah, is expected to duly reconstitute on Thursday, 11th of June 2020, to adjudicate the matter.

08/06/2020

Response to NDC allegations of corruption against BOST

1. NDC Claim:
The issue of contaminated products has been swept under the carpet
BOST response:

a. National Security and BNI investigated the allegations and reported their findings.
b. The Minister of Energy also constituted a committee made up of representatives from National Security and NPA to investigate the allegations and reported their findings to the Minister

c. BOST further constituted a committee, which was made up of key industry players to investigate the issue. This committee also submitted a report to the company.

2. NDC Claim
BOST sold 5 million litres of contaminated products to unlicensed companies
BOST response:

a. The then MD of the company relied on the established practice for the disposal of the contaminated product. Prior to 2017, a total of 38 companies including the local union of BOST were allowed to buy contaminated products from BOST. It is on record that these companies were not licensed for that purpose.
b. In fact, the regulator of the petroleum downstream confirmed that there was no license category for dealing in contaminated products.

c. On the subject of the volume of “contaminated products” sold by the company, it must be established that only 471, 000 litres of such products was sold to one entity. The remainder was sent to TOR for correction.

3. NDC Claim:
BOST was so efficiently managed under the leadership of John Mahama

BOST response:

As of January 2017, the state of BOST as company was as follows:
a. A trade debt of $624 million dollars
b. Legacy debts of GHS 273 million
c. 2 years operations with unaudited financial statements (2015-2016)
d. Non-operational marine assets
e. Non-operational petroleum pipelines resulting in 100% reliance on BRVs for products haulage
f. $10 million of BOST finances locked up in TOR debt through Sahara oil among others
The question then is, “Is this the efficiency being referred to?”
From January 2017 to date, the following are the interventions by the management of BOST and the government of Ghana in mitigating the poor state of the company
a. $624 million dollar debt paid down to $57 million dollars as at January 2020.
b. Settlement of the entire GHS 273 million legacy debt
c. Revamping of BOST’s marine facilities. Two barges and tug boat have been refurbished and operational and currently generating revenue for the company
d. Both of the company’s major pipelines, from Tema to Akosombo as well as from Buipe to Bolgatanga are currently being refurbished and are expected to be operational in the third quarter of 2020

4. NDC Claim:
They reduced the BOST Margin from GHp 10 per litre to GHp 3 pesewas per litre in 2015.

BOST response: It must be stated with emphasis that the BOST Margin has not been 10 pesewas per litre. Infact, it was 2.25 pesewas per litre and was increased to 3 pesewas per litre in January 2011.

5. NDC Claim:
At the time of exiting office, NDC bequeathed 200,000MT of refined products valued at GHS 1 billion and 2 million barrels of crude ( 1 million from TEN and 1 million barrels of Qua-Iboe) valued at over US$ 100million.
BOST response
As of January 2017, 15 out of BOST’s 51 storage tanks had been decommissioned. The total capacity of the remaining 36 tanks was 180,000MT.

It is therefore logically impossible for 200,000MT of products to be stored in tanks with total capacity of 180,000MT. this allegation should be treated with utmost contempt.

07/06/2020

18 Unit Classroom block with a Dinning Hall for
Osei Adutwum SHS in the Bosomtwi.

07/06/2020

Grace Debrah, a widow whose first four children could not attend Senior High School due to financial difficulties is excited to see her last born furthering her education thanks to the FreeSHS policy.

06/06/2020

Free SHS Infrastructure projects; T.I Ahmadiyya SHS, Fomena gets 6 unit classroom block and single storey dormitory block.

06/06/2020

Construction of 7 inch thick Asphaltic Road from Santasi Station~ Paraku Estate Junction within the Kumasi Metropolitan District ( Ashanti Region) is increasingly underway.

05/06/2020

The GNPC Foundation train was today, 5th June, 2020 spotted in various communities in the Western region. After a short hiatus due to the novel Corona Virus Pandemic, the Foundation resumed its technical inspection and handing over of various projects that it had embarked on nationwide.

An 8-unit Sanitary facility was handed over for use in Kojokrom, at the Nana Katabra Basic school in the Sekondi Takoradi Metropolis whilst two 24-unit Sanitary facilities were commissioned at Agona Market and Nkroful in the Ahanta West and Elembelle Districts respectively.

05/06/2020

5th June, 2020
For Immediate Release

PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO COMMISSIONS PHASE 1 OF TEMA PROJECT.

The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Friday, 5th June 2020, at a brief ceremony in Tema, commissioned Phase One of the Tema Interchange Project.

Comprising a two-tier intersection, a tunnel in the East-West direction, four (4) kilometres of improved roads, four (4) pedestrian bridges, one at each approach to the intersection, and the presence of several drainage structures the project was financed by a grant secured from the Japanese government in March 2017 to the tune of ¥6 billion, or $56 million.

Indeed, the grant aid for implementation of Phase One of the project was negotiated and signed in March 2017, with construction commencing in February 2018 and work completed in June 2020.

Describing the commissioning of the project as “an excellent day in the life of Tema”, the President noted that for many, many years, residents living in and around the Tema Metropolis, and motorists, have had to endure the inconvenience of unbearable traffic and a poor road network when traversing the then rotary intersection.

The completion of the project, according to President Akufo-Addo, is a welcome development, especially as the upsurge of vehicular traffic, coupled with rapidly increasing urban population, are putting a lot of pressure on facilities in the cities, especially on road infrastructure, and sapping productivity.

“We made a pledge to the Ghanaian people to expand and improve the road network, while closing the missing links in the network. We had to make this pledge because we knew that the so-called ‘unprecedented infrastructure development’ of the Mahama administration was fantasy, existing in the ‘Green Book’, and not on the ground,” he said.

The President continued, “We know that the provision of quality road infrastructure is an important tool for the socio-economic development of our country, and Government will ensure the even spread of such projects across the country.”

With Phase Two of the Tema Interchange scheduled to commence in the last quarter of this year, he indicated that the second phase will see the transformation of the current two-tier interchange into a three-tier one, and hasten further the turnaround time at the intersection.

Other projects, which are in the pipeline of this enclave, to ensure maximum efficiency in the use of the interchange, include:

1. construction of the 64.4-kilometre Ashaiman Roundabout to Akosombo Junction road (N2) at a cost of two hundred and fifty-six million euros from the KFW-IPEX Bank of Germany. The project will see the current single carriageway of the Akosombo road expanded into a multi-lane dual carriageway, services roads, construction of interchanges at the Ashaiman roundabout, and the Asutsuare junction;

2. dualisation of the seventeen-kilometre Tema to Aflao road. The project is expected to cost one hundred and five million United States dollars, and will tie into the Trans-African Highway Project from Lagos to Abidjan. The current two-lane dual carriageway will be expanded into three-lane carriageway per each direction; and

3. expansion of the Accra – Tema Motorway into a three-lane dual carriageway, with service roads under a Public Private Partnership arrangement. Evaluation has been completed and we are awaiting approval from the Public Private Partnership Approval Committee of the Ministry of Finance to engage the contractor.

“The economic benefits of these and many other trunk roads being undertaken by the Ghana Highways Authority, the Department of Urban Roads and the Department of Feeder Roads will be immense. Government is committed to the successful completion of all the projects, and I urge the Ministry of Roads and Highways to see to their expeditious completion,” President Akufo-Addo said.

The President cautioned motorists to be extra careful and disciplined on the highways, and resist the temptation of over speeding, adding that “better roads should be a catalyst for national development, and not instruments of death and pain.”

He urged the agencies and departments of the Ministry of Roads and Highways, especially the Ghana Highway Authority, in collaboration with the National Road Safety Authority and the Patrol Unit of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Police Service, to intensify their educational and sensitisation activities on speed control, axle load control and road preservation.

“I appeal to MMDAs to ensure that we do not have a proliferation of billboards, posters and other marketing ads in and around the vicinity of this project. Let us use this superior road network responsibly and productively,” he added.

05/06/2020

The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Friday, 15th May, 2020, cut the sod for the reactivation of work for the construction of the forty-four (44) year old Maternity and Children’s Block of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospit...