Category: National

Mr. Peter Kwabena Gyasi, the Deputy Bono Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education, has advised security agencies to maintain neutrality in their efforts to uphold law and order before, during and after elections. He urged them to refrain from pledging allegiance to any political party and also prevent against intimidation of the citizenry but rather try to put in their best in protecting the lives of public from any actions that could harm them. Mr. Gyasi gave the advice during an engagement with the staff of the Bono Regional Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) in Sunyani as part of the Commission's Constitution Week celebration on the theme: 'Together We Can Build Ghana, So Get Involved.' He noted that as security personnel it was imperative to refrain from interfering in the political activities of any political party. ''According to Article 3, Clause 2 of the 1992 Constitution, any activity of a person or group of persons which suppresses or seeks to suppress the lawful political activity of any other person or any class of persons, or persons generally is unlawful,' Mr Gyasi emphasised. He encouraged security personnel to actively engage in the electoral process, from voter registration to the final declaration of results, without committing any electoral offences, to uphold the integrity of the electoral process and ensure a fair and transparent election. He emphasised that ensuring free, fair, peaceful, and violence-free elections, there was a core value that Ghanaians must cherish as a nation by having 'Respect for Human Dignity,' captured in article 15, clauses one and two of the 1992 constitution of Ghana. He said it was imperative the personnel uphold this fundamental principle in order to maintain the integrity of the democratic process and promote a society built on respect and equality for all individuals. Mr. Gyasi called on all security personnel to actively promote a culture of political tolerance leading up to the December elections. Mr. Charles Owusu, the Chief Revenue Officer for the Bono Region, commended the NCCE for their informative programme, while encouraging them to continue fulfilling their duties for the benefit of all Ghanaians. Source: Ghana News Agency

A total 330 voters have been challenged on basis of ineligibility during the first week of the ongoing nationwide limited voter registration in the Hohoe Municipality. The Electoral Commission (EC) within the week has also registered a total of 2,018 voters at its Municipal centre and by the mobile team stationed at the Alavanyo Senior High Technical School and Wli Todzi. Mr Enoch Danso Agyekum, Hohoe Municipal Electoral Officer, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) described the process within the week at the office centre and by the mobile team as successful. He said the second week progressed without any software nor network glitches. Mr Agyekum said day one captured 112 voters made up of two challenged cases, 33 males and 79 females while day two recorded 140 registered with a challenged case of 62 males and 78 females. He said the third day saw 309 registered voters with nine challenged cases and 139 males as against 170 females, adding that day four to the seventh day recorded voters re gistered by the office and the mobile team. Mr Agyekum said the day four registered 371 voters with five challenged cases, 143 males and 228 females while the fifth day saw 450 voters made up of four challenged cases, 231 males and 219 females. He said the sixth day recorded 335 voters with 152 challenged cases, 216 males and 119 females while the last day captured 391 voters made up of 158 challenged cases, 223 males and 168 females. The GNA had picked information that a committee to sit on challenged cases in the Municipality is likely to begin hearing cases from May 18, 2024. Source: Ghana News Agency

Tunis: The investigating judge at the Tunis Court of First Instance issued a detention warrant for lawyer Mehdi Zagrouba on Wednesday evening and ordered a medical ambulance to transfer him to the hospital for treatment after he could no longer be heard, according to his lawyer Boubaker Ben Thabet. Ben Thabet told TAP on the phone that the Public Prosecutor's Office had decided to launch three investigations against his client, two of which concern the assault on police officers at the premises of the Tunis Court of First Instance. The third pertains to the assault on a police officer during a raid by the police on the Lawyers' House last Monday evening to arrest him. 'The investigating judge observed Mehdi Zagrouba's exhausted state as a result of systematic torture," Thabet said, noting that "the investigating judge suspended his client's interrogation in order to present him to the forensic doctor, as required by the legal provisions in cases of detention.' He added that 'Mehdi Zagrouba could not be pre sented to the forensic doctor for security reasons,' saying 'his client fainted and could no longer be heard and that was noted by the investigating judge, who issued a detention order against him pending further proceedings." Ben Thabet called on the authorities to open an investigation into 'the assaults that almost took his life,' and called on the Bar Association to denounce these practices. He further stated that the National Authority for the Prevention of Torture (INPT) and the Tunisian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LTDH) were informed on Tuesday about the condition of lawyer Mehdi Zagrouba, noting that the authority has provided a doctor to visit him. Lawyer Mehdi Zagrouba was arrested on Monday evening by a number of security officers while he was at the Lawyer's House in Tunis. "Permission was granted to detain him in accordance with Article 46 of the Decree organising the legal profession,' said spokesperson for the Tunis Court of First Instance Mohamed Zitouna. The decree allows the detention of a lawyer in flagrante delicto. Zitouna explained that "the lawyer in question violently assaulted police officers inside the premises of the Tunis Court of First Instance, who were performing their duties within the framework of the law, in addition to attempting to forcibly remove them from the court to obstruct the course of justice." Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Mr. Festus Bumakama Agyapong, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Aspirant for Wiawso Constituency, in the Western North Region says there is no law in Ghana that bars children of traditional leaders from engaging in active politics.? He said there were some speculations from his political opponents that his father is the Paramount Chief for Wiawso and that the people should vote against him…' Meanwhile, I am not a chief, but my father is, so what stops me from engaging in active politics '. However, a statement signed by Mr Stephen Opoku Ware, an Aide to the Aspirant, and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) asked the people to ignore such unfounded statements, saying he was not the first son of a traditional ruler to participate in a political contest. It said: 'The likes of Mr. John Jinapor, Mr. Anthony Abaayifa Karbo and Mr. Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo to mention a few are? sons of traditional leaders, who served their people well as Members of Parliament (MP), so we are worried why his political o pponents are creating the impression as if he is the first son of a traditional ruler contesting to become an MP.' The statement called on his opponents to sell their vision to the electorate on what they could do to better their lives, 'rather than engaging in politics of deceit and lies.' 'As the election inches on, the electorates are eager to hear the good messages of various aspirants to inform their decisions on December 7, and we in the NPP are committed to telling the people what we have done and would do when given the mandate,' it said. The statement asked the people of Wiawso to consider what the NPP PC had?done in their respective communities and vote for him based on his achievements to become the NPP MP for the area.? Source: Ghana News Agency

Tunis: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Nabil Ammar, met with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Djibouti, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, in the margins of the thirty-third Arab Summit held in Manama from May 14 to 16, the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday night. The meeting reviewed the issues submitted to the Arab Summit, foremost of which is the genocide perpetrated by the occupying entity against the Palestinian people. It also discussed the excellent cooperation relations between Tunisia and Djibouti in various fields, particularly those related to students, research and technical cooperation. The Djiboutian Foreign Minister praised the efficiency of Tunisian talents working in his country, particularly in the field of education. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse