Category: Politics

Mr Mike Oquaye Jnr, a candidate in the Dome Kwabenya New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Primaries, says he will prioritise education, health and security when he gets the nod to represent his constituents. He said he intended to enhance Information Communication Technology (ICT) training for the youth in the constituency, and take up other initiatives such as provision of scholarships to help students in the community to pursue higher education. Mr Oquaye Jnr, also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana Free Zones Authority, is seeking to unseat Ms Sarah Adwoa Sarfo, the incumbent Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya, as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) delegates go to the polls on Saturday, January 27, 2024. Highlighting part of his vision for the area, he said he was 'committed to expanding the Clinic at Taifa from one floor to three floors with a theatre'. 'In the realm of healthcare, I envision an enhancement of local health services, ensuring that residents have easier access to quality heal thcare. 'Education holds a special place in my agenda, with a focus on providing scholarships. This initiative aims to empower students in our community, offering them the support they need to pursue higher education and achieve their aspirations,' he indicated in a recent Facebook post. Mr Oquaye added he would initiate the establishment of a Fire Service Station at Dome-Kwabenya to ensure a swift response to emergencies, safeguarding homes, businesses, and the well-being of residents. 'With regard to strengthening the Party itself, I am enthusiastic about setting up and later building an NPP party office within Dome-Kwabenya. 'This step is pivotal for fostering better communication and engagement with our residents, creating a platform where their voices can be heard, and their concerns addressed,' he added. Those and other initiatives, he stated, would help establish a Dome-Kwabenya that was not only healthier, more educated, and safer, but also politically engaged and well-represented. The NPP inter nal polls on Saturday is a close contest between Mr Sarah Adwoa Sarfo and Mr Mike Oquaye Jnr, who is making a third attempt. Another contestant, Madam Sakyi Oppong Sheela Adoma, has also emerged as a third force. Source: Ghana News Agency

Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Bono Regional Minister on Tuesday tasked polling station, constituency and regional executives of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to work extra hard for the Party to win the Election 2024. She emphasised the Party in the region had targeted and worked assiduously, not only to win the presidential, but also to reclaim all the lost parliamentary seats in the last elections and possibly win all the 12 constituencies too. 'We can easily achieve this if only the Party leadership at all levels, especially Regional executives continued to lend their support', Mad Owusu-Banahene stated when she interacted with the media about the impending NPP primaries in the region. The leadership of the NPP has set Saturday, January 27 to conduct the Party's parliamentary primary to elect Election 2024 Parliamentary Candidates for the Party. Mad Owusu-Banahene emphasised the amount of socio-economic development projects provided under the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's government had w ell-positioned Party and brightened its chance in winning and retaining political power in the general election. Nonetheless, the Regional Minister emphasised it required hard work, if the Party could 'break the eight' and therefore advised supporters, polling station and electoral area coordinators and the entire Regional Party executives to avoid complacency and work hard for overwhelming victory. The government's achievements have made the NPP attractive in the region, and the Party must therefore make frantic efforts and propagate such achievements to the voter population. 'As you are no doubt aware, the Election 2024 election is a historic one for the two main political parties in the country as both parties are all seeking to win it for the fifth time since the inception of the 4th Republic, so we need to double our efforts to become victorious', Mad Owusu-Banahene stated. Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Julius Malema, the Commander-In-Chief of the Economic Fighters Front (EFF), a political party in South Africa, will on Tuesday, January 23, engage in a dialogue with the youth of Africa, in Accra. The dialogue, with Mr Malema, would afford the youth of Ghana an opportunity to tap from the reverberating activism and radicalism of the leader of EFF whose passion for a liberated and united Africa remains unquenchable. A statement issued by Mr Bernard Mornah, the Co-Convenor of AriseGhana, a political press group, made available to the Ghana News Agency said this dialogue with Mr Malema, would be under the auspices of AriseGhana. Mr Malema, as part of his visit to Ghana, shall pay a courtesy call Mr John Agyekum Kufuor, as well as Mr John Dramani Mahama, the two former Presidents of Ghana. He would also lay a wreath at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in honour of the legendary Pan Africanist and First President of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah. It AriseGhana takes the opportunity to welcome its revere d guest and Comrade to Ghana. The statement said the public and all progressives are cordially invited to attend and participate in this historic event. 'The quest for a truly liberated and economically independent Africa requires the ideas of people like Comrade Julius Malema and we at AriseGhana are more than elated as we look forward to tomorrow's event,' the statement said. Source: Ghana News Agency

Parliamentary aspirants of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ablekuma North Constituency are busily rounding up their campaigns this week, with the hope of convincing delegates to choose them as suitable candidates for the big task ahead. For a constituency that has been touted as the 'bread basket' of the NPP in the Greater Accra Region since 1996, the parliamentary primary is a keen contest in that the chances of the Party's candidate winning the main parliamentary election on December 7 are highly probable. Keen contest This time, two astute female politicians - a sitting member of Parliament in the person of Ms Sheila Bartels and Nana Akua Owusu Afriyieh, a former MP for Ablekuma North and Ghana's Deputy Ambassador to China, will battle it out again in a contest tipped to be fiercely competitive. Nana Afriyieh, who lost the seat to Ms Bartels in the 2020 primaries, is seeking to make what she describes as 'the golden comeback', having represented the people in Parliament from 2016 to 2020. Ms Bar tels, daughter of Mr Kwamena Bartels, who is the longest-serving MP for Ablekuma North (1996-2008), is hopeful to consolidate the gains recorded in the last three years as MP for the area and build on her political successes. A total of 1, 460 delegates in addition to 51 executives, coordinators, and Council of Elders and patrons are expected to vote on Saturday. Whereas supporters of Ms Bartels tout her investment in human resource development and easy accessibility as among the basis to justify her re-election, faithful of Nana Afriyieh proclaim her humility and positive interpersonal relationship as grounds for her return. In the 2020 primaries, Ms Bartels garnered 518 votes whiles Nana Afriyieh, the then incumbent MP, secured 315 votes. Two other contestants, John Agbotey and Kwadwo Adjei-Barwuah got 20 and 88 votes respectively. The renewal of the battle between the two women has generated a mixture of excitement and anxiety among the NPP in the constituency. Background The Ablekuma North Constitu ency has been in existence since 1992. Areas under the jurisdiction of Ablekuma North include Kwashieman, Hong Kong, Kokompe, Darkuman, Nyamekye and parts of Dansoman. Apart from 1992 that the National Democratic Congress' candidate, Adam Baako Nortey Yeboah clinched the seat for the first time, the NPP has enjoyed monopoly of the seat for close to three decades. The NPP's Kwamena Bartels snatched the seat from the NDC in 1996 and retained the seats for three consecutive terms until 2008. Another NPP candidate, Justice Joe Appiah, took the baton and won two consecutive elections - 2008 and 2012. In 2016, Nana Afriyie maintained the NPP's dominance and secured the seat, but could only do that for one term. In a surprising turn of events, Sheila Bartels won the primaries and proceeded to win the seat in the 2020 elections. The Party's expectations The Ablekuma North NPP has targeted increasing the Party's winning margin by at least 50,000 votes in the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections. In th e 2020 election, the Party won the parliamentary seat with a margin of about 25,000 votes, securing about 65 per cent of the total votes cast. Mr Fredrick Green, Secretary, Ablekuma North NPP, said the Party was confident that the delegates would choose a formidable candidate that would build on past achievements to achieve its target for 2024. He said the Party's Album was in good shape and appealed to the delegates to show up on the voting day and contribute to the democratic processes of the Party. 'The candidate that we are hoping to get is solid and at the end of the day it is likely that the margin we are looking for will be actualised,' Mr Green said. Aspirants confident In an interview with the GNA, Ms Bartels said her key focus had been human development and road infrastructure, adding that she was confident the strong relationship she had built with the delegates would guarantee her re-election. She said her target was to secure at least 750 votes on Saturday and rallied delegates to 'apprecia te continuity' to advance the progress of the constituency. 'This year, I want to set up a resource centre for the community and make sure that we support the young people and the elderly as well; that is going to be my legacy project,' Ms Bartels said. Nana Afriyieh told the GNA that her return was motivated by her passion to serve the Party and the people, adding that the delegates themselves rooted for her comeback. 'What I have gained as an Ambassador, I want to bring it back to serve my people and to add up to the quality and the exposure that I have acquired,' she said. 'I am very hardworking, humble and I unite people all the time. The constituents' themselves are rooting for my comeback and so it has motivated me to be with them,' she added. Implications for Party The NPP is seeking to retain and build upon the 14 seats it currently occupies in the Greater Accra Region. The Ablekuma North seat is most likely already in the bag if history favours the NPP in the December 7 polls. The Party is al so hoping to increase its presidential votes in the Greater Accra Region and thus whoever emerged candidate of the Party in Ablekuma North would have an additional responsibility to improve on the gains of 2020. In the meantime, the battle lines have been drawn and two women, both of whom have won the seat before, will lock horns in a suspenseful contest. Source: Ghana News Agency

Ghana has participated in the Third South Summit of the Group of 77 and China, held in Kampala, Uganda, from 21st to 22nd January. At the summit, Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, expressed grave concern about the deteriorating conditions of the Palestinian people due to the ongoing conflict in the Gaza strip. Madam Botchwey, who led Ghana's delegation to the summit, reiterated the call for the cessation of hostilities, the removal of impediments to humanitarian assistance, and the release of all hostages. A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, copied to the Ghana News Agency said during the plenary session held on 21st January, the Minister underscored the need for a heightened commitment to multilateralism, urging Member States to prioritise the welfare of the most vulnerable. She also expressed concern about the growing prevalence of unilateral policies and actions across diverse areas including political , economic, and trade, and called for the repudiation of such trends. She further advocated for a return to cooperative frameworks to systematically address transnational challenges and cultivate international collaboration. Additionally, Madam Ayorkor Botchwey emphasised the critical need for reforming international financial structures to secure equitable, and impartial access to finance for the global South. Commending the Africa Group at the United Nations for its efforts in advancing inclusive, and effective tax cooperation, she urged Member States to unite in endorsing the appeals for reform within global institutions that may have deviated from their original commitments. She further stressed the need for worldwide support and solidarity to rejuvenate the economies of Member States and fulfill the aspirations of their populations for peace, prosperity, and dignity. Source: Ghana News Agency