Rawlings prays wisdom for President Mahama as he marks 31 yrs of Revolution

Ghana’s former President and Leader of the 31st December Revolution, Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings has in a statement to mark the 31st Anniversary of the Revolution, sought God’s guidance for the people of Ghana as well as President John Mahama as he prepares to take up the mantle as fourth elected President of the Fourth Republic.

He prayed for God to provide President Mahama with the wisdom to pick men and women of integrity to man his administration and the courage to ‘prevent leeches, parasites, thieves and liars from taking refuge” in the corridors of power.

President Rawlings added that he wished President Mahama well as he prepares officially take up the mantle of leadership on January 7.

The former President who spoke after lighting the perpetual flame to mark the 31st Anniversary of the 31st December Revolution, also called on all Ghanaians to resolve in the coming year to work to improve sanitation across the country because of the major health issues that have surfaced as a result of poor sanitation.

President Rawlings paid glowing tribute to persons like Dr Ayirebi Acquah, WO Albert Baffa and WO Salifu for their sense of bravery and fortitude during the early days of the revolution.

He said Dr Ayirebi Acquah left his lucrative job in Zimbabwe to return to Ghana at the onset of the revolution and recounted how the doctor’s only Volvo saloon car was used to inaugurate branches of the June 4 Movement across the country.

WOs Baffa and Salifu in addition to a host of others were praised for their courage during the June 4 uprising as well as the 31st December Revolution. He said he knew some who had run away when others were exhibiting sheer bravery andscoffed at the fact that such cowards who he declined to name were sometimesquick to jump on the band wagon and even claim leadership roles.

President Rawlings appealed to all Ghanaians to raise ourselves to commit a little more energy to fight unsanitary and unhygienic situations. “It is shameful. I hope we will right the tree under President Mahama. I am making a serious appeal as Typhoid and other related diseases are very serious,” he stated.

Dr Ayirebi Acquah when given the opportunity to speak said: “this is one more honour President Rawlings has accorded me. Am most grateful to him and Ghanaians for tolerating me in high office for 15 years.

He said during his tenure at the Ministry of Local Government, he destroyed a cheque he had paid to a contract after discovering belatedly that the contractor had not executed his contract fully and had to face the agony of being accused of having demanded a bribe, but he stood his ground. “People in government must demonstrate such integrity,” he said.

The Otublohum Mantse and Acting President of the Ga Traditional Council, Nii Dodoo Nsaki II who had earlier laid a wreath on behalf of all traditional leaders said therevolution gave birth to democracy. He prayed for peace and unity and hoped the peace will prevail as a beacon for Africa.

Aside Nii Dodoo Nsaki, Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo laid a wreath on behalf of the people of Ghana, while Dr Ayirebi Acquah with the assistance of WO Ben Dalla and WO Nick Gbeku laid one on behalf of the security services.

Madam Peace Aryee of the 31st December Women’s Movement laid one on behalf of the cadre corps.

Cadres, the security agencies, NDC supporters, Ministers of State and a host of sympathisers attended the ceremony at the Revolutionary Square, opposite the Flagstaff house.


From: Office of Former President J.J Rawlings

Our party has not announced any electoral results - Atik Mohammed

The People’s National Convention (PNC) has denied claims that electoral results collated by the party tally with the results announced by the Electoral Commission.

A statement released and signed by the party’s National Coordinator, Atik Mohammed described as falsehood any sort of declaration by PNC to such effect.

A report by the Ghana News Agency on Sunday, December 30, 2012, cited the PNC’s National Organizer, Emmanuel Wilson, as saying that President John Dramani Mahama, the 2012 Presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress, polled 50.63% of total valid votes cast during the Presidential elections in December this year.

The National Organizer was also quoted in a statement that collation of electoral results by the People’s National Convention indicates the Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo polled 47.71%.

But another statement released on Monday, December 31, 2012, by the party has denied such reports and according to Atik Mohammed “the party has not engaged in any such exercise much less come out with such ridiculous outcomes”.

Below is the full statement:

PRESS RELEASE

RE: PNC’S COLLATION SHOWS MAHAMA HAS WON

It has come to the notice of the PNC Caucus for Strategic Progress that the PNC’s National Organiser is purported to have issued a statement on behalf of the party in respect of some computation of election results.

The outcome of which suggests President Mahama has won with a percentage of 50.63%.

We wish to state that, the party has not engaged in any such exercise much less come out with such ridiculous outcomes.

The party after the elections had concerns from specific constituencies for which reason held on and still is holding on to making any concession statement in order to have enough time dealing with these concerns as clearly communicated by the party’s leader. It has not however involved itself in any re-collation of all national election results exercise.

Therefore, for someone in the party to come out barely a week after the National Chairman and Leader has spoken on what the party is doing to claim the PNC has, based on its figures accepted Mahama’s victory is a sharp contradiction of the reality and at best is a lie.

The PNC could not field polling agents in more than two thousand polling stations. This is a fact that is common knowledge to every observer of the just-ended general elections.

So how could we have procured enough data from the over 26, 000 polling stations to come to this conclusion?

Secondly, the party has not set up any committee, body or structure to do that which the National Organiser is alleging he has done.

More so, matters of the elections and its resultant concerns as we received them from some of the constituencies of interest were to be discussed and a decision taken at a National Executive Committee meeting which is yet to come off.

Thirdly, major correspondence of this nature does not and cannot be coming from the National Organiser. He does not have that authority whatsoever.

This clearly indicates that it is not a communication reflective of the party’ position and situation.

In the light of the above coupled with the information available to the Caucus in respect of dealings by this man in question with some members of the NDC and a prior discussion with the National Leader of the party as recent as 30th December 2012 on this subject matter, we wish to state without equivocation that, the said computation by Emmanuel Wilson alleging to be the PNC’s is nothing short of a LIE.

We therefore are inviting members of the party who are in shock with this news especially those with concerns in their constituencies and the entire country to disregard this information put out by Mr. Wilson as it is a palpable falsity. We further entreat them to disregard the content as it lacks merit and truth.

We further wish to assure Ghanains and party following that, the communication by the party’s leader still stands and that our commitment as a party to addressing the electoral concerns of our various candidates and contributing our bit to deepening our nascent democracy remains unchanged and unshaken.

The leadership of the PNC Caucus for Strategic Progress wishes to take this medium to wish all party members and Ghanaians a prosperous new year. And we wish to assure the rank and file of the party that, the task of reconstruction and reorganisation after the damage of election 2012 begins in earnest from 2013. Every shoulder will therefore be invited to the wheel. The assignment is daunting, but we are convinced that together we will surmount the hurdles ahead.

PNC IS GREAT, TOGETHER WE MAKE IT GREATER
GOD BLESS US ALL



SIGNED
Atik Mohammed
(National Coordinator)

President John Mahama’s New Year message to the nation

President John Dramani Mahama will deliver his first national speech today evening.

President John Mahama’s national address on the eve of new year is his first after winning the Presidential elections on December 9.

Spokesperson of the President, John Jinapor says the President will use the opportunity to give his New Year message to Ghanaians.

The President returned from his private trip to South Africa last night.

He was met on arrival by Vice President, Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur and some Ministers of State.

From: Adu Gyamfi Ameyaw

Prez Mahama’s Inauguration On Jan 7- Eleven Heads Of State ,High Profile Delegation To Attend

Eleven Heads of State and 18 government delegations across the world have confirmed their participation in the inauguration of the President-elect, John Dramani Mahama, on January 7, 2013.

They include Presidents Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria, Faure Gnassingbe of Togo, Mahamadou Isoufou of Niger, Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso and Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire.

The African Union (AU) Chairman, President Thomas Yayi Boni, has also confirmed his participation in the grand national event at the Independence Square in Accra.

The Spokesperson for the Presidential Transition Team, Mr James Agyenim-Boateng, told graphic.com.gh in Accra that “all is set for the inaugural ceremony on January 7”.

In view of the national nature of the ceremony, he stated, all party flags, billboards and other party paraphernalia on the ceremonial roads were to be removed immediately.

Work on the ceremonial ground is expected to begin on January 2 and completed on January 5, two clear days before the inauguration.

Invitations have been extended to 50,000 guests world-wide.

According to the arrangements, giant screens will be mounted at vantage points in Accra, such as the Obra Spot at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, the Liberty Park at Dansoman, the Trade Fair Centre, Legon/Madina, among other places, on which the event would be telecast live, with Ghana Television providing feeds for all television stations.

Mr Agyenim-Boateng said the team had received all handing-over notes from ministers and government appointees.

On the return of government vehicles in the possession of such appointees, he said January 4 had been given as the final day for the return of those vehicles and others.

He said under the Presidential (Transition) Act 2012, Act 845, all ministers, departments and government appointees in government bungalows were given up to three months to vacate the accommodation.

President Mahama was declared the winner of the December 7 presidential election, which, according to international and domestic election observers, had been free, fair and transparent.

He has been congratulated by world leaders, including the US, France and Germany.

Source: Daily Graphic

Asiedu Nketia is ignorant – NPP Deputy Communications Director

The leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has bemoaned comments by the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Aseidu Nketia, that the opposition party’s legal brains are a bunch of “blockheads" masquerading as “bookworms”.

Johnson Asiedu Nketia made this comment in reaction to the NPP’s legal battle with the Electoral Commission and the National Democratic Congress, in which President-elect John Dramani Mahama has been cited as one of the respondents to the case before the Supreme Court.

NPP last Friday petitioned the Supreme Court to look into the 2012 Presidential results which saw President John Mahama ahead of his contenders.

The party claims the elections were rigged in favour of the President and the ruling National Democratic Congress.

The opposition further described the alleged inaccuracies in the 7th and 8th December polls as an act of electoral fraud.

NPP Vice Presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia disclosed in a news conference last Friday that over 1.3 million votes were wrongly counted during the elections.

This, according to him, justifies the party’s resolve to seek justice.

The party presented a petition to  the highest court of the land for a redress, in hope that the NPP 2012 Presidential candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, emerges victor at the end of the court case and therefore ascends to the 2013 Presidential throne as the next President under the fourth Republic of Ghana.

But Johnson Asiedu Nketia, popularly called Gen. Mosquito, lambasted the opposition New Patriotic Party and questioned the intellect of their legal team.

He argued that suing President John Mahama is unconstitutional, stating that the NPP legal intellectuals should have known better before filing a law suit against the President.

His comments triggered reactions from the rank and file of the NPP, and in response, the Deputy Communications Director, Sammy Awuku has described the NDC Gen Secretary as an ignorant person.

“I am really surprised that the NDC considers this a backward step by the NPP. It’s born out of ignorance and it also shows clearly that he doesn’t appreciate the positions in our constitution. It’s born out of ignorance; it’s a clear case of ignorance on the part of the NDC General Secretary.”


He challenged Mr. Asiedu Nketia’s logic that it is unconstitutional for President John Mahama to be sued since according to him “The Constitution of the Republic of Ghana says that a person whose election is being challenged must be joined in the suit."

"In this case, the NPP has sued the Electoral Commissioner….that decision of the Electoral Commission; its candidate Mr. John Dramani Mahama so if he cannot see as the Constitution is saying, the person whose election you are challenging the suit will go nowhere.”

To him, the NDC General Secretary is bemused by his misconception.

“This is the same Asiedu Nketia who up till now has been against the founder of his own party; a man who changed his lifestyle from a pauper to a star. A Law Lecturer at the University of Ghana has said that anybody who says the President cannot be sued, it’s a wrong impression that the person is creating.’ Sammy Awuku emphasized.

From: Adu Gyamfi Ameyaw

Fire guts Kumasi Central Market

Kumasi Central Market was yesterday razed by fire around 9pm.

About 15 shops were completely thrown down by the wild fire and several properties worth thousands of cedis got destroyed as the fire continued to spread.

Fire Service personnel swiftly intervened to quench the fire though reports say it took them more than two hours to bring the fire under control.

Two traders sustained minor injuries in an attempt to retrieve their properties and another collapsed after seeing his shop in flames.

No casualties were recorded.

Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Kwaku Agyemang Mensah and Mayor of Kumasi, Samuel Sarpong are yet to visit the scene of the incident today.

The cause of the fire outbreak is still unknown.

From: Adu Gyamfi Ameyaw

President Mahama Back Home From Private Visit To South Africa

President John Dramani Mahama returned home last night from South Africa.

The President left Accra for South Africa a week ago on a private visit.

He was met on arrival by the Vice President, Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, the Minister of the Interior - Wiliam Aboah, the Minister of Defence, Lt General Joseph Henry Smith and other government officials including party functionaries.

 

Source: GBC

1,340,000 votes were wrongly counted in the elections – Dr. Bawumia

About 1,340,000 votes have been revealed by the New Patriotic Party as bloated during the 2012 Presidential elections.

The 2012 Vice Presidential candidate of the party, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia revealed this in a news conference today at the Alisa Hotel in Accra.

He disclosed the 1,340,000 votes were wrongly counted in the just-ended December polls, which according to him, reveals the “sophisticated irregularities” that characterised the polls.

He explained that a critical assessment of the party’s evidence points out to the fact that Nana Addo should have been declared the next President under the fourth Republic of Ghana.

The opposition New Patriotic Party earlier today filed a petition to the Supreme Court to seek redress over the party’s accusations that the Electoral Commission connived with the National Democratic Congress to rig the elections.

The party petitioned the Supreme Court to look into the alleged electoral fraud in hope that the declaration of President John Dramani Mahama as the winner in the 2012 Presidential contest will be overturned.

Dr. Bawumia insisted the revelations done by the NPP give credence to the issue of rigging in the elections.

“The fundamentals have to do with the voters register. When we finished the biometric registration exercise, we were told that we had around 13 million registered voters and that some cleaning up was to be done of this register. By the time we saw the cleaned up register in November, the electoral biometric register had increased from around 13 million that was announced at the end of the registration exercise, to 14 million.” he said.

He continued that “A total number of 127,000 were added to the register between November and December 2012 and somehow, you are only having this added apparently to the presidential side of the results. Basically, you cannot have two registers for the same election and this is the point that we are making.”

 From: Adu Gyamfi Ameayaw