People of Dagbon must name and shame war-mongers - Aliu Mahama

Former Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama         Former Vice-President Alhaji Aliu Mahama wants the people of Dagbon to name and shame politicians who try to take advantage of the chieftaincy dispute in the area. He said the people must hoot at such politicians and drive them out of the area. The former vice president has just ended a tour of the Dagbon area to remind the people of the need to embrace peace. He told Joy News’ Seth Kwame Boateng that politicians who take undue advantage of the people to incite them against each other must be told they are not welcome. “Politicians who come and preach hatred should be hooted at. If a politician is coming with…something good then you will receive the person but anybody who comes and continues to hit on the Dagbon crisis, knocking heads, and preaching hatred - you should rather hoot at him and tell him that you don’t accept that because we are all tired, Dagbon is tired of this [conflict],” he stated. The former Vice-President said some unnamed politicians had persistently and consistently incited the people of Dagbon, often portraying themselves as concerned about the people when in fact they are doing that for political purposes. He said Dagombas must remember that “poverty is our greatest enemy.” “It is poverty that has brought our people to this level. There are no jobs, people are sitting under trees and people come to tell them lies and even when they are telling them lies, the man telling them the lies should not even be questioned because when you question, they say, ‘ahh, this man doesn’t belong to us,’” he said. Alhaji Aliu Mahama said while in government, he had some limitations but was now determined to stay at the forefront of resolving the crisis. He said although the government’s efforts to find a lasting solution to the conflict was commendable, Dagombas must be committed to peace before any efforts can succeed. Story by Malik Abass Daabu with additional files from Joy News/Ghana

Arthur Kennedy- I will contest Abura Asebu Kwamankese seat

Dr Arthur Kennedy         Dr. Arthur Kennedy, a leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) says he will stand as a Parliamentary candidate in the Abura Asebu Kwamankese constituency of the Central Region come election 2012. He said this will enable him work more with the grassroots who do most of the work in getting votes for the party. He added that there is the need for the party to improve the quality of its parliamentary candidates by encouraging the “big names” in the party consider running as parliamentary candidates. Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Dr. Arthur Kennedy noted that “if after the 2007 primaries, ten of the seventeen aspirants had contested as parliamentary candidates and won, Nana Addo would have been President.” On his relationship with the party after the release of his controversial book "Chasing The Elephant Into The Bush: Politics of Complacency", he disclosed that he is very much involved in the campaigns of the party and had had a very constructive meeting with Nana Akufo-Addo about their campaign. Dr. Arthur Kennedy’s book presents a vivid image of the party dealings prior to the election and even in the course of the election. He received a lot of criticism from the party hierarchy some of who condemned him for 'washing the party's linen in public. He said about 90% of the things he knew was not in his book but believes the little he wrote has helped his party. Dr Arthur Kennedy said he disagrees with most of the things the Kufour administration did. He thinks President Kufuor should not have honoured himself but rather deserves an honour by the state. He added he thinks it was not the best time to build the Presidential Palace and the purchase if the presidential jets. “I don’t think it was the best time to build a Presidential Palace and I believe that it was not the best time to acquire the planes. I respectfully disagree”. He was however quick to add that Kufuor’s administration did well especially in healthcare by instituting the National Health Insurance Scheme. “Over all the Kufuor administration‘s performance was teller, it was the best performance in a generation. The only administration that one can conceivably think of is that of the Nkrumah administration”. On the budget, Dr. Arthur Kennedy said “the NDC is tax happy and going against the fundamental law of economics. Higher taxes do not lead to growth”. He said Ghana needs better tax collection by ensuring that those who do not pay their taxes pay. “When we have a tax professor as President, he should be looking at how to get more people paying taxes rather than get the few people pay more”. He said he is very astonished that President Mills is complaining of politics of insults when he has rewarded those who engaged in it during the 2008 election campaign with ministerial appointments. He thinks the President should practice what he preaches. “The President is right to worry about the insults in our culture but I think charity begins at home and actions speak louder than words” He however believes that the Presidents call is well placed. Dr. Arthur Kennedy is now a lecturer at the University of Cape Coast Medical School. Story by: Adwoa Gyasiwaa/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana

NDC 'arrest' party supporter for impersonation

The Jaman North constituency of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has arrested a man who allegedly claimed to have been sent by the party's National Executives to test the popularity of President Mills. Alex Twene, 29, is said to have claimed he was sent by the National Executives of the Party to conduct a survey among constituency executives in the Brong Ahafo Region to establish whether to maintain President Mills or change him for another candidate to lead the party in the 2012 elections. Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sεn programme, the Jaman North constituency chairman of the NDC, Alhaji Ibrahim said Alex Twene distributed papers amongst the constituency executives at a meeting asking them to state whether they would like to maintain President Mills as their candidate or change him for another candidate because of his perceived non-performance to enable the National Executives to take a decision. Alhaji Ibrahim noted that he decided to call the National Executives to confirm the Twene's claim. His checks, he told Asempa FM, turned out that the claim was false. He said the party's national general secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, denied any such exercise. Alhaji Ibrahim said they decided to send Twene, who is also said to be a member of the party, to the police for impersonation. According to Alhaji Ibrahim, upon police interrogation, Alex Twene alleged that he was sent by former First Lady and vice chairperson of the party, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings. He also alleged there are other people undertaking similar exercises in other regions. Alhaji Ibrahim said they have handed the matter to the National Executives to take the necessary action. He therefore warned NDC constituency executives nationwide to be vigilant because the party was not conducting any such exercise. However, Superintendent Amankwatia of the Jaman North District Police Command says Nana Konadu has denied knowledge of Alex Twene when contacted. He added the police have since granted Twene bail to report to the police on the 25th of November. Meanwhile, an aide to Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, Ernest Owusu Bempah has dissociated Nana Konadu from the alleged exercise. He however accused the General Secretary of the NDC as being behind the incident to discredit the former First Lady. He also said his intelligence points to an order by Asiedu Nketiah for party executives to beat up any person who came asking questions about President Mills' performance. Story by Adwoa Gyasiwaa/Myjoyonline.com

My words are always twisted - Kennedy Agyapong

Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, NPP Member of Parliament for Assin North         Outspoken NPP Member of Parliament for Assin North, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong is upset at what he says are deliberate misinterpretation and negative twists of whatever he says in the media. According to him, he is not happy about what seems to be an attempt to always paint him black in the media because of comments he makes about issues and believes such practices will destroy the country. Speaking on Dwaso Nsem on Adom FM Tuesday, Mr. Agyapong who was very upset about media reports that he had condemned certain pastors as fake and that the Methodist Church was bogus, said it was not fair that statements he had made about certain bogus pastors had been taken out of context and had been blown out of proportion. On Friday, November 19, Mr Ohene Agyapong was a panellist on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem and was commenting on a part of the 2011 Budget presented by Minister of Finance, Dr Kwabena Duffour which implied that churches and mosques would be taxed when he stated that he agreed with that provision because a lot of the pastors in the country were involved in money-making ventures. He also stated that most of the pastors were fake and were destroying the country with their false prophecies and miracles especially the young pastors. He cited an example of a church service he attended with his mother where a pastor who used to be in the Methodist Church but has broken away was selling bottled water which he had blessed to the congregation. The story was published in the Bilingual Free Press. The claims attributed to Ken Agyapong also sparked outrage among religious bodies some of which have come out to condemn his comments. However, Kennedy Agyapong has said he was misrepresented by the Bilingual Free Press and other media outlets in their reportage, stating that he never said the Methodist Church was bogus and that it was rather the pastors. He said it is unfortunate how people or the media have reduced everything to politics especially between the NPP and the NDC, adding that it is a recipe for disaster for the country. He said he is not intimidated or daunted by the attempts to always skew his words negatively because he will always be honest, explaining that he believes it is the fact that he always says things as it is that makes him a target for the media. He cautioned the media against running stories that will not help the progress of the nation and also asked politicians to be truthful because they will be held accountable. Mr Agyapong did not spare the host of the show, Adakabre Frimpong Manso for what he said was his sensationalism, accusing him also of circulating copies of his voice to some radio stations and threatened that he would not speak on the station again. He however changed his mind after Adakabre denied circulating the voice. The host also explained that he had replayed the whole interview on-air for people to make their own judgment. Mr Agyapong maintained his claims that some pastors were destroying the country by preying on people’s ignorance and naivety and becoming rich in the process. Story by Linda Antwi/Adom FM

Akufo-Addo: I have never tasted or sniffed cocaine

Nana wants critics to prove their claims or shut up         Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, flagbearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party for the 2012 elections, has dared his critics to prove with empirical evidence that he is a drug addict or “shut up” and stop attacking his personality. For the first time, the NPP flagbearer is making a public pronouncement on what he describes as a smear campaign against his personality. “I have never tasted or sniffed cocaine. Why are my detractors attacking my personality saying that I am a drug addict?” Nana Addo fumed. Nana Addo vowed not to tolerate any further attacks on his personality and threatened to deal decisively with persons who continue to peddle falsehood against him as a drug addict. He was speaking at the opening ceremony of a three day national NPP youth conference held at the Mafara Hotel in Tamale. Giving a brief history and ideology of the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition, Nana Addo encouraged all NPP loyalists to improve the party’s internal harmony by doing away with factionalism. He said the contest for leadership positions in the NPP was over for which reason factionalism should be discarded by all party members. The NPP 2012 flagbearer stated emphatically that nobody or group of persons within the NPP will be allowed to place their preference above the collective interest of the party for elections 2012. He reassured Ghanaians of free secondary education under his leadership and expressed the hope that he will win the 2012 elections. Nana Addo confirmed that part of the factors which caused the NPP’s defeat in 2008 had to do with the choice of Parliamentary candidates, and that the party’s success in 2012 will largely depend on how the leadership will manage the upcoming Parliamentary primaries ahead of the next elections. He underscored the need for party leadership, particularly at the grassroots to listen to party supporters in their respective constituencies to get good materials for the Parliamentary contest in 2012. Other NPP bigwigs who attended the workshop included Jake Otanka Obetsebi Lamptey, the National Chairman; Mr. Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie alias Sir John, the General Secretary as well Dr. Mahamud Bawumia, NPP 2008 running mate and Gabby Asare Otchere Darko, Executive Director of the Danquah Institute. Source: Citi FM

Rawlings: Money politics is corrupting our democracy

Former President, Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings says the creeping canker of money politics threatens to destroy the natural consultative role of our political leaders.

“The new and current corrupter towards electoral democracy is the misuse and abuse of money…we are sowing the seeds of instability because we are using it to destroy the important human values that serve as an anchor in our civilisation,” he said.
He also noted that a one-size fits all prescription of democracy for the continent will be a recipe for “stress, tension and failure”.

Delivering the keynote address at the 5th Annual Symposium of the Electoral Institute for the Sustainability of Democracy in Africa (EISA) on Tuesday, President Rawlings said: “Democracy works only when it has evolved within a specific socio-cultural environment and fused into the traditional political systems such that it is seen as an indigenous product, but unfortunately Africa has not been given the opportunity to develop this.”

The former President lamented the disinterest of political parties in strengthening internal structures and making strong efforts to have a huge membership base. He said though political parties work hard to have a strong support base through raising funds from individuals who expect to be rewarded during electoral victories, registration of members seems not to be a priority.

“Registering members seems not to be the primary objective of most parties but rather a desire to have a large base of supporters who are not necessarily registered members. Is it not ironic to see political parties galvanise funds from a few individuals who literally buy votes through the provision of cash, motorcycles, bicycles, and other essential amenities for the electorate and naturally expect to be rewarded when elections are won?
“It is not uncommon to see the campaign offices of presidential, parliamentary or party executive aspirants properly equipped with every conceivable facility comparable to party offices in other parts of the world while the actual party offices in ours are still set in an antiquated way of doing things.
“Parties no doubt have the capacity to be efficient, embrace modern technology and management methods and adopt state-of-the-art communications strategies but all these will come to nought without empowerment – empowerment of the people…the ordinary people.”

Source: Former President Rawlings’ blog




Read the full text of his address below

5th ANNUAL EISA SYMPOSIUM

SETTING BENCHMARKS FOR ENHANCED POLITICAL PARTY PERFORMANCE FOR DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IN AFRICA

KEYNOTE ADDRESS AND OFFICIAL OPENING SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY Flt Lt JERRY JOHN RAWLINGS FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA

23 NOVEMBER 2010

• DIRECTOR OF CEREMONIES & EISA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

• MEMBERS OF THE EISA BOARD

• EISA MANAGEMENT TEAM AND STAFF

• MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS

• REPRESENTATIVE OF THE AFRICAN UNION

• THE DONOR COMMUNITY & DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS

• CABINET MINISTERS

• HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT

• LEADERS OF RULING AND OPPOSITION POLITICAL PARTIES

• REPRESENTATIVES OF REGIONAL ECONOMIC COMMUNITIES

• REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ELECTION MANAGEMENT BODIES

• REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS

• MEMBERS OF THE ACADEMIC COMMUNITY

• EXCELLENCIES

• DISTINGUISHED GUESTS

• LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

I feel honoured to have been invited to be part of this continental symposium organised and hosted by the Electoral Institute for the Sustainability of Democracy in Africa (EISA).

Allow me to begin by acknowledging the work that EISA does across the African continent particularly as a leading organisation in the area of elections, democracy and governance. I would also like to congratulate EISA for organising the annual symposia, which have not only become its trademark, but have also positioned it among the leading organisations that seek to promote democratic governance on the continent.
It is also noteworthy that my respected colleague, former President of Botswana, is a patron of the Institute.

DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

It was equally delightful to learn that this year EISA was organising a symposium focussing on political parties with the view to enhance the capacity of political parties in Africa, not only to be effective, accountable, responsive and transparent, but also to be internally democratic. I believe that this is a profound initiative and must be sustained.
If democracy is to work efficiently on the continent it should be a reflection of the indigenous social, cultural and political ethos of our various countries. In embarking on an exercise like this let us not attempt to create a one-size fits all prescription for the continent. It will be a recipe for stress, tension and failure.
Democracy works only when it has evolved within a specific socio-cultural environment and fused into the traditional political systems such that it is seen as an indigenous product, but unfortunately Africa has not been given the opportunity to develop this.

None will disagree that today more than any time in the past political parties are a useful vehicle for contestation of power in a democratic setting. Parties must be able to provide alternative policy options and should be able to promote representative democracy through providing a plurality of diverse voices and present alternative choices. In order to be effective in the offering of plural choices, parties have to be effective articulators of their policy message, and of what it is that they wish to offer to citizens and to society. As such, political parties’ ability to provide alternatives to citizens in choosing of representatives and to be an effective voice is crucial.

However, it is evident that our political parties are faced with a myriad of internal and external challenges, which are a setback to their proper functioning. Researchers on political parties offer many and varied explanations. Yet common to their observation about political parties in Africa is a lack or absence of internal democracy, lack of leadership skills, poor administrative skills and policy making skills, poor financial management skills, lack of clearly defined goals and little ideological differences, lack or absence of gender equality, lack of conflict management skills and tolerance both within and between political parties.
Ladies and gentlemen, these lapses do not come about as result of a lack of resources or a lack of competent personnel within political parties. It is oftentimes as a direct result of a misplaced conception that some enter politics to get rich. There is thus little desire on the part of party machinery to put in place effective mechanisms that will allow parties to operate as an effective autonomous body that is there to protect the interests of members on an equitable basis. Political parties definitely abound in personnel who have the requisite competence to guide governments to implement the above-stated requirements but individual interests tend to reign supreme.

Individuals, especially on our continent therefore have a field day monopolising parties either by virtue of their financial wealth often ill-acquired or because they are closer to government – that is in power. Registering members seems not to be the primary objective of most parties but rather a desire to have a large base of supporters who are not necessarily registered members. Is it not ironic to see political parties galvanise funds from a few individuals who literally buy votes through the provision of cash, motorcycles, bicycles, and other essential amenities for the electorate and naturally expect to be rewarded when elections are won?

It is not uncommon to see the campaign offices of presidential, parliamentary or party executive aspirants properly equipped with every conceivable facility comparable to party offices in other parts of the world while the actual party offices in ours are still set in an antiquated way of doing things.

Parties no doubt have the capacity to be efficient, embrace modern technology and management methods and adopt state-of-the-art communications strategies but all these will come to nought without empowerment – empowerment of the people…the ordinary people.



Article 27 (8) of the AFRICAN CHARTER ON DEMOCRACY, ELECTIONS AND GOVERNANCE states:

“In order to advance political, economic and social governance, State Parties shall commit themselves to promoting freedom of expression.”

Let us not be fixated with the adoption of modern party machinery without recourse to the involvement of the masses who really give life to political parties. Political parties have to justify their existence before ordinary citizens of our continent and they can only do so if they endeavour to give true ownership of such institutions to them. A political party cannot boast of being a political party if the ordinary folk are not convinced they own and have a stake at the decision-making level of the party.

I do not prescribe a chaotic situation where an amorphous structure is created which desires millions of political party followers to all contribute to debates before intra-party decisions are taken. I am referring to a decentralised party structure where there is an equitable distribution of opportunities for candidates to party positions. And where contributions are sought from all departments of the party before decisions are taken.

Participants will admit that in many parts of the continent party structures at the lowest constituent levels are teleguided by the national executive and favourites are sponsored to win elections, sometimes against the will of the people of the area. Mistrust is thus sown at the lowest level and there is an unfortunate understanding that even at such a level you must have the support of perceived powerful people within the party hierarchy to be elected into office.

Ladies and gentlemen let us set benchmarks and put in place a machinery to support such targets, but more importantly, let us change our mindset. Let us stop being overprotective of political office by ensuring that a role that is meant to be a service to the people is rather an opportunity to serve them. Implementing the benchmarks you agree to here, is a charge you have to keep. Pay lip service to them and this conference would have been a total waste.

Political parties can only be relevant if they do not allow individuals to establish power-bases within and around the party and use them as an opportunity to emasculate the party. Many parties in power, including Ghana tend to look up to government as the power base rather than vice-versa. Because the party has overlooked the fact that elected leaders including the president are there to serve the party and by effect, the people, government is able to impose its will on the party, further weakening the party structure. These are the issues that have to be at the back of your minds, ladies and gentlemen.



Of particular importance is the adherence to truth, transparency, recognising and respecting the judicial consciousness of the public and a desire to help empower the party resource-wise instead of the individual quest for material gain.



DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

I have been advised by the organisers that the specific objectives of developing the benchmarks are to:





Explore practices for the institutionalisation of political parties



Encourage focus on gender equality within parties for increasing the numbers of women in party decision-making positions



Explore practices in interparty relations, and exploring conditions under which party coalitions are possible and establishing principles for sustainable coalition building.



Improve existing benchmarks/principles so as to add value to the rebuilding of democratic institutions



Improve penetration into society and improve constituency building and constituency relations.



Encourage effective representation accountability, responsiveness and transparency



Encourage inclusiveness, diversity and representativity



Encourage political tolerance



Encourage the empowerment of rank and file membership of parties.



Improve party operational apparatuses, including party management and administration



Examine modalities for party funding that are equitable and fair and which lead party sustainability after thorough discussion.



I have touched on several of these benchmarks already but one issue that requires a lot of attention is gender equality and the increase in participation of women in decision-making within political parties. The women emancipation process is not just about instituting percentage participation as a sign of commitment. It is about a conscious effort on the part of political parties to push for national legislation that ensures that women are educated to the highest level. It is also about a campaign to ensure that women are self-reliant economically and given confidence to take up political office right from the grassroots level.



A lack of education should not be used to intimidate women into avoiding politics. Politics is about what affects us on a daily basis. Women are usually more aware of the deeper problems affecting society and we need to encourage them to articulate their concerns through their participation in political activity. Demystifying politics will encourage women to participate and sooner than later we will not need to create the quota systems that are in a true sense of the word discriminatory in character.



The EU Electoral Observation Mission that monitored the 2008 elections in Ghana made some good observations that is relevant to your deliberations and the strengthening of political parties on the continent.



It noted that: “The national capacity of political parties needs to be strengthened including the introduction of pro-active measures for ensuring inclusive political party structures. The draft bill on the funding of political parties, based on the principle of proportionality, should be promulgated by parliament. Registration of political parties should be removed from the mandate of the Electoral Commission and transferred to a suitable body.



“Party agents should receive more training on their role during elections and an adequate code of conduct be introduced. They should also receive visibility material identifying them as agents and should refrain from taking on a too proactive role in the process.



“The system for campaign spending should be reviewed as it is inadequate. Consideration should be given to placing a ceiling on spending and introducing an appropriate and transparent system for public accountability in campaign spending. To complement their annual financial reports the political parties should submit accounts of their donations and spending on a bi-weekly basis to a relevant authority for the duration of the campaign period ensuring maximum transparency.



“More extensive and permanent voter and civic education should be introduced throughout the year to inform and educate voters of both their rights as voters as well as registration and voting procedures. The responsible institutions should also ensure this reaches grass roots level and the authorities provide an adequate budget for these activities to be undertaken.”



Ladies and gentlemen these are recommendations that are relevant to all political parties irrespective of their countries of origin and should be factored into your deliberations in the next two days.



By seeking to develop benchmarks for enhanced political party performance for democratic governance in Africa, the 5th Annual EISA Symposium is relevant and comes at an opportune time as different stakeholders are re-examining the issue of party assistance. Recently, bi-lateral donors, diplomats, international and regional organisations, implementers who focus on political party assistance, as well as political party members, political analysts and a broad range of actors from the peace making (mediation, dialogue facilitation), democracy building, state building and academic fields converged in Sussex, England to deliberate on what needs to be done to assist political parties. The main question they reflected on was how assistance to parties can be done without distorting the domestic political process in favour of one political party over another, and, most importantly, that it does not cement power in non-democratic elite structures that might not be amenable to opening up to more democratic processes.



DIRECTOR OF CEREMONIES, DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

Judging by the goal and objectives of this conference, and by a rich and diverse expertise you have assembled from across the continent and beyond to present conference papers, I am confident and optimistic that you will live up to the task before you. I would like to hasten to indicate that while your presence here is an indication of your commitment to contribute to the enhancement of the capacity of political parties in Africa to be effective and internally democratic, the real commitment will be judged by your willingness to embrace the principles that will be agreed in this symposium. Put differently, institutionalisation of political parties will remain a distant mirage regardless of the amount of time and energy EISA and its partners spend unless political parties seriously commit to implement the agreed benchmarks.



I would suggest that SABC publicises as much of the educative lectures and discussions for the benefit of the continent and the world.



As leaders of our countries, we have a responsibility to judge the mood of the people and always move the political train in a direction that ensures that the populace feels their interests have been served. Democracy makes true meaning when it is the kind of governance that reflects true people power.



It is not the absence of military interventions, which we seem to have achieved to a significant extent that will restore democracy, freedom, justice and development. What is required is the integrity of leadership and ability to empower the people. Leadership should have confidence in our people and not feel intimidated by empowering them.



The crucial questions are: Are we bold enough to empower the people? Are we prepared to be accountable to the people?



Corruption has persisted because some of our leaders have used state machinery to subjugate the vibrant spirit of the people and silenced the opposition. Vested interests from outside have also contributed to perpetuating this by whitewashing such corrupt and autocratic governments.

Ladies and gentlemen, noble human values will be lost if we continue to allow money to be used to persuade us in our votes. Take it if you may but do not sell your conscience.



Ladies and gentlemen, in South Africa, so long as there was the painful reality of racism and apartheid no amount of money being pumped into the elections could prevent an ANC victory or the Apartheid regime from being removed. This was a struggle to restore and reinstate noble human values. The ethnic factor has also played and may continue to play a determinant role until the importance of merit and integrity finally overrides money or materialism and the negative effect of ethnicity.



A sizeable proportion of Africa is still held down by the ethnic factor and understandably so in terms of voting patterns. The new and current corrupter towards electoral democracy is the misuse and abuse of money. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, we are sowing the seeds of instability because we are using it to destroy the important human values that serve as an anchor in our civilisation.



The significant event that took place here in terms of the party instigating and edging out a sitting President is unprecedented in Africa's political history. In most parts of our continent instead of our leaders allowing the will of the nation to guide us through our chosen parties we have the tendency of inflicting our singular will and overriding that of the nation.



Power then corrupts us and we thus lose our natural consultative role. Abuses and corruption then set in. Human rights violations become the order of the day and the creative and defiant spirit of the nation with time, becomes subdued and in some cases emasculated. People then end up literally worshipping their oppressors. Unfortunately discerning voices that begin to draw attention to our deviations are often perceived as the abnormal. The probability of coups and explosions then become the obvious option for rescue.



The very democratic right that is exercised by the party in choosing its leader is expected to have the same mandate to correct deviations or to remove him when it becomes necessary. This is precisely because of the extent to which the executive sometimes decide to use power and resources to bribe, corrupt and emasculate the party leadership. The party leadership invariably ends up becoming an appendage of the executive. How then can we expect the party to be able to fulfil its moral mandate?



The resilience and the strength that was exhibited by the party machinery here in edging out a sitting president speaks volumes and that is what is lacking in many other multiparty democracies in developing countries. The party in government did not wait to be rejected by the populace. It had the capacity to demonstrate its own corrective mechanism.



This is all we ask for - the ability to recognise the stakes and the capacity to take prompt and decisive action. To take away that right to guide, correct and counsel in effect means that the multi-party practice only exists in name. Where then lies the difference between an autocratic regime and a so-called democratic government of the people, by the people and for the people?



Once again, I congratulate EISA for providing this rare space for both ruling and opposition parties to engage each other to find solutions to the common challenges they are faced with as they endeavour to offer alternative choices and become a voice to the multitudes of their constituents.



Democracy is about what the people want and need, not about what the rulers think the people want or need. Herein lies our responsibility.



DIRECTOR OF CEREMONIES, DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO DECLARE THIS 5th ANNUAL EISA SYMPOSIUM OFFICIALLY OPEN.



I WISH YOU FRUITFUL DELIBERATIONS AS YOU SEEK TO PROMOTE THE LONG-TERM INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR POLITICAL PARTIES ON THE AFRICAN CONTINENT.



THANK YOU.





Visit Former President Rawlings’ blog site - http://jjrawlings.wordpress.com/

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NDC 'arrest' party supporter for impersonation

The Jaman North constituency of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has arrested a man who allegedly claimed to have been sent by the party's National Executives to test the popularity of President Mills.

Alex Twene, 29, is said to have claimed he was sent by the National Executives of the Party to conduct a survey among constituency executives in the Brong Ahafo Region to establish whether to maintain President Mills or change him for another candidate to lead the party in the 2012 elections.

Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sεn programme, the Jaman North constituency chairman of the NDC, Alhaji Ibrahim said Alex Twene distributed papers amongst the constituency executives at a meeting asking them to state whether they would like to maintain President Mills as their candidate or change him for another candidate because of his perceived non-performance to enable the National Executives to take a decision.

Alhaji Ibrahim noted that he decided to call the National Executives to confirm the Twene's claim. His checks, he told Asempa FM, turned out that the claim was false. He said the party's national general secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, denied any such exercise.

Alhaji Ibrahim said they decided to send Twene, who is also said to be a member of the party, to the police for impersonation.

According to Alhaji Ibrahim, upon police interrogation, Alex Twene alleged that he was sent by former First Lady and vice chairperson of the party, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings. He also alleged there are other people undertaking similar exercises in other regions.

Alhaji Ibrahim said they have handed the matter to the National Executives to take the necessary action. He therefore warned NDC constituency executives nationwide to be vigilant because the party was not conducting any such exercise.

However, Superintendent Amankwatia of the Jaman North District Police Command says Nana Konadu has denied knowledge of Alex Twene when contacted. He added the police have since granted Twene bail to report to the police on the 25th of November.

Meanwhile, an aide to Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, Ernest Owusu Bempah has dissociated Nana Konadu from the alleged exercise. He however accused the General Secretary of the NDC as being behind the incident to discredit the former First Lady.

He also said his intelligence points to an order by Asiedu Nketiah for party executives to beat up any person who came asking questions about President Mills' performance.


Story by Adwoa Gyasiwaa/Myjoyonline.com

Government denies ordering fresh probe into Muntaka's $20,000 saga

Communication’s Director at the seat of government, Koku Anyidoho has categorically denied that President Mills ordered the Civil Service Council to commence fresh investigations into the $20,000 which Alhaji Mohammed Muntaka was alleged to have allocated to himself whiles in office.

Koku Anyidoho told Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah on the Super Morning Show Thursday morning that the Daily Guide's report that the President has ordered fresh investigations into the matter could not be true as no such order had been given by the President.

Daily Guide, in the Thursday, November 25, 2010 edition reported that it had gathered credible information from the government indicating that the President had ordered new investigations into Muntaka’s controversial $20,000 saga.

The report by Halifax Ansah-Addo said the paper’s “checks from the seat of government revealed that the Presidency has directed the Civil Service Council to set up a fact-finding committee to investigate the mystery surrounding the $20,000 taxpayer’s money and who should be held accountable for it, despite the fact that the issue had been investigated by the National Security, upon which Muntaka was sacked.”

Mr. Muntaka Mubarrak, the man at the centre of the controversy, in an interview on the same programme accused the Daily Guide of waging a mischievous campaign against his person since he resigned from the Sports Ministry.

Mr. Muntaka, who espoused his believe in press freedom, said he is very livid with the trend of reportage by the paper, stressing that “this level of mischief by Daily Guide must be stopped. Isn’t it unfortunate that Daily Guide, I don’t know for whatever reasons, have always tried as much as possible throughout this period to align and always put my name in bad reportage?”

Mr. Muntaka said the Daily Guide consistently draws his name into unnecessary controversies that occur in his constituency even when he is no where near it.

He however explained that the civil service council has constituted a panel to deal with the $20,000 case which he is alleged to have pocketed. He further confirmed that he has been invited along with other officials who were at the ministry during that period to participate in the hearing in order to bring closure to the controversy.

Story by Derick Romeo Adogla/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana

Blows over oil money

The decision by the government to amend clause 5 of the Petroleum Amendment Bill, which is currently before Parliament, has led to hot exchanges between the Minority and the Majority sides of the House. Clause 5, as it stands now, debars governments from using our oil reserves as collateral to secure loans from development partners, but the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government is seeking to remove this clause, and replace it with Future Receivables. Whereas the former deputy minister of energy in the Kufuor government, Mr. K. T. Hammond, insists the government was trying to mortgage our oil reserves to finance the STX Korean housing deal, a Deputy Minister of Finance, Fifi Kwetey, denies the charge, contending that the amendment only seeks to promote the future infrastructural development of the country. Speaking in an interview with The Chronicle on November 15 2010, Mr. K. T. Hammond argued that if the government claimed the amendment had nothing to do with the STX housing deal, then it should tell Ghanaians how they were going to raise funds to finance the project. According to him, he was aware of serious lobbying going on for the members of parliament (MPs) to support the new amendment by the very people who were promoting the STX deal, and that it would be out of place for anyone to argue that the STX deal was out of the equation. The STX Korean housing deal seeks to construct 30,000 housing units for the security agencies at the cost of $1.5 billion. Parliament has already approved the deal, but the implementation of the project was yet to start, due to certain developments that arose when the government and her Korean counterpart met at the Castle to sign the deal. Mr. Alban Bagbin, Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, had already granted several interviews, insisting that the deal had not been abandoned. But speaking in a follow-up interview with The Chronicle in Accra on Sunday, Mr. Fifi Kwetey denied that the amendment of clause five of the Petroleum Bill was meant to promote the STX deal. He accused K.T. Hammond of trying to be mischievous, "because he knows that the aim for the amendment is to promote the future infrastructural development of the country." According to Kwetey, the government had no intention to collateralise the oil reserves, but only future revenue receivables. He explained that should the government use the future oil revenue receivables as collateral secure loans, the donor agency cannot seize the oil reserves if the government defaulted in the payment Kwetey noted that the Kufuor government used proceeds from our cocoa as collateral for funds raised for the construction of the Bui Dam, and that it was the same method the NDC was also using. He contended that some of the minority MPs were opposing the new amendment, because they know that the NDC would use it to transform the country, which would make it impossible for them to return to power in 2012. K.T. Hammond however, denied this claim, insisting that the minority was only trying to protect the interest of the country. He also denied that the Kufuor government used receipts from cocoa to finance the entire Bui Dam project. According to him, the cocoa receipts were pledged for only five years, which covers the period for the construction of the dam. According to him, since the Bui Dam would generate its own income, the donors only asked the government to pay the interest on the loan, and they collateralised it with cocoa receipts for only five years. Production of oil from the Jubilee fields is expected any moment from now, with an initial production capacity of 80,000 barrels per day. This is expected to increase to 120,000 barrels per day in2012. This will rake in $1 billion revenue to the state. Source: The Chronicle

Amajaro ban: COCOBOD is not telling the truth

Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko         A leading member of the New Patriotic Party and the Executive Director of the Danquah Institute is accusing COCOBOD of being economical with the truth over the lifting of the ban on Amajaro. Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko told Joy News’ Dzifa Bampoh there are too many coincidences in the running controversy on Amajaro- a controversy which has seen Vice-President John Mahama being accused of wrong doing. Armajaro, a British Cocoa Trading Company was banned together with three other companies when they were implicated by ace investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas whose undercover investigation revealed illegal smuggling of cocoa to neighbouring countries by the companies. The ban was however lifted amidst allegations that the Vice-President John Mahama influenced the decision to have the ban lifted. Whilst Asare Otchere-Darko insists the vice-president's call for CHRAJ's investigation is timely, he said the circumstances under which the ban on Armajaro was lifted raises concern. “It all started as a scandal in the UK over a business man who is supposed to have paid $60,000 into the parliamentary office of the minister and went back to the same minister to ask him to impress on the presidency of Ghana to lobby for him to get the ban imposed removed,” “…And then the Vice president, according to his own admission, actually met a UK minister who spoke on behalf of this company and then we come to Ghana a few weeks or so later the ban is removed,” he noted. In all these, Otchere-Darko said COCOBOD’s position on the matter has been dodgy and cannot be trusted. According to him the CEO of COCOBOD Anthony Fofie on 27th of April revealed his outfit will not lift the ban because the companies involved have shown no remorse. On September 28, 2010 Asare Otchere-Darko further noted that the CEO during the announcement of the new producer price of cocoa reiterated the ban was still in place and that there will be a meeting to decide on the future of the companies. “And then what do we hear, 8 November 2010, COCOBOD releases a statement to say that on that same 28 September, the very day that the Board told the whole country that the ban was still in place that was the very day the Board removed the ban. It is rather bizarre,” he stated. He said the reasons provided for lifting the ban cannot be supported by their own regulations. “They (COCOBOD) are certainly not telling the truth,” he said. But Aide to the Vice-President, John Jinapor said the vice-president should not be dragged into this controversy. Play the attached audio for excerpts of the interviews  Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana

Amajaro ban: Veep dares critics to proceed to CHRAJ

John Mahama       Vice president John Mahama has dared critics to proceed to the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) over COCOBOD’s lifting of the ban on British Cocoa Trading Company, Amajaro Company. The British media has been replete with stories about the vice-president being lobbied by a British minister to influence the lifting of the ban on Amajaro. The ban was placed following an undercover investigation by Anas Aremeyaw Anas which implicated Amajaro and three other cocoa trading companies of smuggling cocoa to neighbouring countries. The ban was subsequently lifted on 28 November, 2010 by COCOBOD. However, the Alliance for Responsible Office Holders (AFROH) with its chairman, Mahama Haruna, a member of the New Patriotic Party accused the vice-president of using his office to ensure the ban on Amajaro is lifted. The group claims to have intercepted a letter written by Anthony Ward, an official of Armajaro enlisting the assistance of Andrew Mitchell, the British International Development Secretary, to lobby the vice president John Mahama and have the ban lifted. But John Mahama insists he had no hand in the lifting of the ban. Addressing press men at the castle on Monday, the vice-president challenged critics to proceed to CHRAJ and bring closure on the matter. “I hope that it won’t be a phantom. They just said it and leave it. They should actually go to CHRAJ so that we get a closure on it,” he said. John Mahama admitted meeting the British minister in question but said he only advised him to petition the COCOBOD. “I said they should petition and they petitioned and it was lifted. I didn’t interfere with COCOBOD," he revealed. He said the criticisms are mere attempts by his detractors to tarnish his reputation. “I believe that a lot of the time public office holders are subjected to all kinds of denigrations without it being put to the test. This will be one of the first test cases,” he warned. Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana