I’m not foolish to set up Komenda Sugar Factory without plans for raw materials – Mahama

 Former President, John Dramani Mahama has accused the current government of deliberately failing to operationalise the Komenda Sugar Factor.

The $35 million factory, built from an Indian EXIM Bank facility, has not worked since its commissioning in 2016.

The factory was revamped to revive the local production of sugar, thereby reducing the importation of the commodity.

But the story has been different.

The factory has failed to produce sugar and is currently rusting away.

The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) says that John Mahama failed to make arrangements for the provision of raw materials before proceeding to establish the factory.

But John Mahama, responding to this, says that his government had a vision for the operationalization of the factory.

According to him, the Indian government had prevailed on them to get the factory ready and later apply for funds to support the production of raw materials.

Speaking in an interview on Cape FM in the Central Region as part of his ‘thank you’ tour on Friday, Mr Mahama said that the current government has deliberately purposed against applying for the funds.

He added that, he’s not foolish to set up a factory and have no plan for the provision of raw materials he knew what the vision was and it was to get the raw materials first, and when then start production.

….MAHAMA…..

 

Haruna Iddrisu rallies MPs for ‘make-or-break’ anti-LGBTQ Bill

The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, has rallied his fellow legislators to back the controversial anti-LGBTQ+ Bill in Parliament.

At a press conference on Friday, October 15, 2021, Mr. Iddrisu said the Bill had full bipartisan support, with all MPs united in “holding high the moral flag of our country.”

He views the consideration of the bill as make-or-break for Ghana’s moral fabric.

“Certain issues of significance either make or put asunder the collective unity of people of a nation at critical moments in its history, and the Parliament of Ghana must stand the litmus test.”

While he expressed confidence in both sides of the House, he added that “if anybody fails you, it is not the NDC Minority.”

The Minority Leader expects a high degree of rigor in the consideration of the Bill.

“Every accompanying sentence, we will insist on a vote, including amendments to every provision,” Mr. Iddrisu said.

“We will do what is legally needful within the 1992 constitution clause by clause, and we want every member of Parliament to get counted and to stand to be counted as reflecting the aspirations of Ghanaian people.”

Mr. Iddrisu’s opposite on the Majority Side, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, was less emphatic when talking about the Bill on Wednesday and said Parliament should ensure that the rights of citizens are protected.

While he said democracy is about majority rule, he added that “it doesn’t also mean we should trample on the rights of others.”

“The appropriate thing will be done,” Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu remarked further on Parliament’s consideration of the Bill.

….HARUNA IDDRISU…..

I have not taken money to fight LGBT Bill; I’m not a pimp – Akoto Ampaw

Lawyer Akoto Ampaw, the leader of the group of lawyers and professors opposing the anti-gay Bill in Parliament has rubbished allegations that he is championing the course for monetary gains.

The veteran lawyer is leading a group of 18 made up of educationists and lawyers who have human rights at heart.

In the last few weeks, the group has been fighting the anti-gay bill titled: “Promotion of Proper Sexual Rights and Ghana Family Values” through interviews after presenting a memorandum to parliament.

For Ningo Prampram MP Sam George, Akoto Ampaw and his colleagues are only fighting the Bill because of financial reasons.

“They claim they are doing this on the basis of principles, I say it’s a financial monetary principle because if you have principles, your principles will show constantly in your activism. I have given instances over the past ten months when they’ve not spoken, they’ve been silent.

Reacting to the accusation, Lawyer Akoto Ampaw has said it is ridiculous for anyone to make such an allegation.

According to him, everybody who knows him knows that he is not a pimp and doesn’t take money from other people to carry out other people’s agenda but fight for principle.

Lawyer Akoto Ampaw added, “It is ridiculous for people to be suggesting that we have gone and collected money in order to promote this fight.”

The 18-member group being led by Akoto Ampaw says they are against the anti-gay bill because it violates virtually all the key fundamental freedoms guaranteed under the constitution, namely the right to freedom of speech and expression, the right to assemble, freedom of association, and the right to organise.

…..LAWYER AKOTO AMPAW……

Request information to test RTI Law- Former Offinso South MP tells public

A former Member of Parliament (MP) for Offinso South, Mr Ben Abdallah Banda, has urged Ghanaians to test the Right to Information (RTI) Law by applying for information from state institutions to satisfy themselves that the law is working.

Mr Banda, a lawyer, said until Ghanaians tested the law, it would be difficult to know the challenges with it and correct them.

He said it was through such testing that one would know if the law was working to pave the way for it to be fine-tuned to address any bottlenecks and challenges.

Mr Banda, who is the Presidential Coordinator of the Zongo Development Fund, was speaking at a public forum organised by the Right to Information Commission (RTIC) to educate the public on the RTI Act, 2019 (Act 989) in Kumasi.

The former MP, who chaired the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, the committee that worked on the act, said the law was one of the ways by which the citizenry could demand accountability from duty bearers by asking the right questions and requesting appropriate information.

Mr Banda said contrary to popular belief, the RTI Law was not for journalists alone but everyone, including foreigners.

He said unlike in other jurisdictions, here in Ghana even foreigners could apply to institutions for information under the law and thus, urged Ghanaians to start testing the law by applying for information from public institutions.

…..HON. ABDALLAH BANDA….

 

 

 

 

 

Anti- LGBTQI+ bill: Be bold and stand by your words- Buaben Asamoah

Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Lawyer Buaben Asamoah has tasked all those speaking against or for the Anti- LGBTQI+ should be bold and stand by their words.

Speaking during a press conference in Accra today said, people expressing their views and concern of this LGBTQI+ saga clearly states that, the democracy of this country is working.

According to him, anyone speaking about this issue should not hide behind the mask but rather face the music irrespective of anything.

Tensions are brewing in the country over the debate of passing the Anti- LGBTQI+ Bill in the country.

Majority of Ghanaians especially, the Christian and Muslim clergies, Legislators, Chiefs are all supporting the passage of the bill.

However a group has called for the rejection of "The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021".

The private member's Bill, which is currently before Parliament, seeks to criminalize the activities of lesbian (female homosexuals), gay (male homosexuals), bisexual, transgender and queer or questioning (LGBTQ) in the country.

.…LAWYER BUABEN FIRST…..

Touching on former President Mahama‘s statement that, he was cheated in the 2020 general elections, Lawyer Buaben Asamoah advised him not to throw dust into the eyes of Ghanaians.

….LAWYER BUABEN SECOND…..

 

Violence in 2020 general elections cannot be blamed on EC – CDD-Ghana

Senior Programs Officer at Centre for Democratic Development Ghana (CDD-Ghana), Dr. Paul Nana Kwabena Aborampah Mensah has shared that the Electoral Commission (EC) cannot be blamed for violence recorded during the 2020 general elections.

The EC and its chairperson, Mrs. Jean Akukwei Mensah have since after last year’s general election had fingers pointed at them over the violence that occurred.

The minority, in particular, have consistently faulted the EC boss and stressed she supervised one of the worst elections in the history of the country.

Speaking to the media, Dr. Paul Nana Kwabena Aborampah Mensah who works with CDD-Ghana has shared that security issues of any election are not the responsibility of the EC.

According to him, there is a national election security task force responsible for security and hence the EC cannot be blamed for any violence recorded.

He added that, the role of the EC is clearly defined in the Constitution, management of the actual election and supervision of the political parties, especially registration are in conformity to the political party laws but election security is handled by the National Election Security Taskforce which has a decentralized authority at the regional and district level.

Seven lives were lost in the 2020 general elections with some other people sustaining injuries in the violence that occurred in various parts of the country.

EC boss Jean Mensah insists her outfit is confident when the security agencies share their investigations and recommendations, they will learn from it to better future elections.

…..NANA ABORAMPAH ….