Category: Politics

The Progressive People's Party (PPP) has asked the citizenry to join the Party to form 'Great Alliance 2.0 to rescue the country from the abyss'. It urged the populace to vote out the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration for its 'abysmal performance' and usher in a government that would bring change to the life of the people. 'Ghana needs a rescuer, a rescuer that does not reside in the corridors of power, but in the hearts and minds of its people.' Nana Ofori Owusu, National Chairman of the PPP, speaking at a press conference dubbed 'Change' in Accra, highlighted some challenges facing the country and attributed them to leadership failure and mismanagement of resources of the country. He said the fight to bring about change was a call to action for Ghanaians to stop the country from 'bleeding'. 'It can only come to an end when the people rise up against oppression, nepotism, suppression … and look government in the eye and tell them they must go,' he said. Nana Owusu said given the debt situation o f the country, it would only take a responsible party like the PPP to use the next four years to clean up the mess created. He assured that the Party would complete abandoned projects from the first Republic and cut the size of government to reduce government expenditure while encouraging the indigenous private sector to thrive, create jobs and provide support for government initiatives. Source: Ghana News Agency

Former President John Mahama, Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Election 2024, has said the next NDC government will revitalise the cotton industry to produce up to 100,000 tonnes of cotton per season in Northern Ghana. He said the next NDC government would also regulate the soybean industry and allow the export of soybeans to ensure increased production and sales. Former President Mahama said this while addressing a town hall meeting in Tamale on Tuesday. The meeting was to engage residents of the Tamale Metropolis on the NDC's agenda as well as solicit the input of various groups in the Metropolis to be considered for implementation if the party assumed power next year. It was attended by some civil society organisations and traditional authorities as well as provided the platform for leaders of some industries to present their concerns to the NDC Flagbearer, who took turns to address them. Former President Mahama said the country could generate significant income from cotton pro duction adding Benin and Burkina Faso generated so much from the industry although their lands were not as fertile as that of Ghana. He said the NDC, under the leadership of late Professor John Evans Atta Mills, relaunched the cotton industry and moved cotton production in the country from 3,000 tonnes to 10,000 tonnes in a season. He touched on the effects of the restrictions on soybean export on farmers saying soybean farmers were unable to break even after harvesting because the cost of production surpassed the income as prices were extremely low due to the export restrictions. The NDC Flagbearer said: 'Government placed a ban on exporting soybean thinking it will drive the price down to make it affordable for the feed makers but what they do not realise is that if the price goes below the cost of production, then the farmer cannot expand his farm for the next season.' He promised residents of Tamale a modern abattoir if he assumed office as President indicating that the abattoirs in the region were su bstandard. He said the use of tricycles and motorcycles as commercial means of transportation would be legalised to enable their regulation. Source: Ghana News Agency

GOBABIS: Former Mayor of Gobabis, Elvira Theron, has said the late President Hage Geingob is still making history even after his passing as leaders all over the world remember him. 'What is amazing is the international community rising up all over the world to celebrate our president, a small nation like Namibia is on the map. Dr Hage is making history once again even in the time of his death as he is lifting up the beacon of Namibia,' Theron said after signing a book of condolences at the Omaheke governor's office here on Tuesday. The former mayor said Geingob was a leader of note. 'You can see the work that he did for us, there we had a very smooth transitional leadership at its best. I want to say this is the time where we must realise that the seed must be put in the ground in order for more fruit to come,' she added. Governor of the Omaheke Region, Pijoo Nganate said the late president is the one who elevated him when everyone rejected him. Nganate said he remembers Geingob not only as his leader, bu t also a personal friend. 'When he appointed me to this position he said, 'You went down with me and I am on my feet and I want you to be on your feet again. I am appointing you to the region that has rejected you so that you can serve them, and serve them diligently.' I can still echo those words,' Nganate said. The governor said he remembers Geingob not only as president but also as a friend, 'a person with whom I sat alongside fire and had stories to tell. A person who shared so much wisdom, so much hardship himself and so many successes.' Omaheke Regional Council chairperson Ignatius Kariseb meanwhile said he remembers a man who always preached inclusivity and unity amongst Namibians. 'As a regional leader I am urging fellow regional leaders to commit ourselves to undertake that we will serve the region to the best of our abilities as it was expected by the late President Geingob,' he said. Source: The Namibia Press Agency

The new Standing Orders of Parliament took effect from Tuesday, February 6, when the House resumed from the Christmas recess. Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, who made this known when he formally opened the First Meeting of the Fourth and Final Session of the Eighth Parliament of Ghana, noted that the new Standing Orders came into effect on January 2, 2024. Standing Orders are the written rules, which regulate the proceedings of the House. At the beginning of Tuesday's sitting, the Speaker asked for a roll call to be conducted for members of the House who were in attendance, which was followed by the recitation of Ghana's national anthem by the Members of Parliament (MPs). Order 14 (1) of the new Standing Orders states that: 'At the commencement of a Sitting and after Prayers, the Speaker may cause to be conducted a roll call of Members of Parliament' The Speaker explained that in line with Order 14 (2) Members shall attend a sitting of the House and sign a record of attendance in the Chamber that shall be manual or electronic. He said the response to the roll call, a signed record of attendance at plenary or committee, shall be evidence of attendance of a Member in Parliament. 'Roll call! Honourable Members, pursuant to Order 14 (1) of our Standing Orders, a roll call will be taken, and a member is expected to respond to the roll call, which shall be evidence of attendance.' Touching on the recitation of the Ghana National Anthem by the MPs, the Speaker noted that under the new Standing Orders of the House, it would be done at the beginning of the first sitting of every weeklong meeting. Source: Ghana News Agency

GOBABIS: Former Mayor of Gobabis, Elvira Theron, has said the late President Hage Geingob is still making history even after his passing as leaders all over the world remember him. 'What is amazing is the international community rising up all over the world to celebrate our president, a small nation like Namibia is on the map. Dr Hage is making history once again even in the time of his death as he is lifting up the beacon of Namibia,' Theron said after signing a book of condolences at the Omaheke governor's office here on Tuesday. The former mayor said Geingob was a leader of note. 'You can see the work that he did for us, there we had a very smooth transitional leadership at its best. I want to say this is the time where we must realise that the seed must be put in the ground in order for more fruit to come,' she added. Governor of the Omaheke Region, Pijoo Nganate said the late president is the one who elevated him when everyone rejected him. Nganate said he remembers Geingob not only as his leader, bu t also a personal friend. 'When he appointed me to this position he said, 'You went down with me and I am on my feet and I want you to be on your feet again. I am appointing you to the region that has rejected you so that you can serve them, and serve them diligently.' I can still echo those words,' Nganate said. The governor said he remembers Geingob not only as president but also as a friend, 'a person with whom I sat alongside fire and had stories to tell. A person who shared so much wisdom, so much hardship himself and so many successes.' Omaheke Regional Council chairperson Ignatius Kariseb meanwhile said he remembers a man who always preached inclusivity and unity amongst Namibians. 'As a regional leader I am urging fellow regional leaders to commit ourselves to undertake that we will serve the region to the best of our abilities as it was expected by the late President Geingob,' he said. Source: The Namibia Press Agency