Category: Relevant Politics

SCANDALOUS DAYLIGHT STEALING

1. This letter was written by the Chief Executive Officer of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Elizabeth Sackey, to the Youth Employment Agency (YEA). The subject is well-known, but let me help you with the details.

2. The YEA has a contract with Zoomlion (since 2006), which states that Zoomlion should manage the cleaners and sweepers of all the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) in Ghana.

3. The contract says the YEA and the MMDAs should employ the cleaners and give them to Zoomlion to manage.

4. But, as this letter shows, the MMDAs and the YEA do not know the number of cleaners managed by Zoomlion across the country. The government pays Zoomlion in Accra based on the claim of numbers Zoomlion presents for payment. For a long time, the claim has been that 45,000 people are doing the work.

5. Zoomlion is paid 850 cedis per cleaner, but the contract says Zoomlion should pay each cleaner 250 cedis and keep 600 cedis as fees. The cleaners have no benefits such as transportation, health insurance or retirement package. If they fall ill battling the filth in our gutters and markets, they’re on their own.

6. That’s not all the woes these miserable cleaners go through. A letter I have intercepted shows that Zoomlion has not paid these cleaners for more than one year, even though the company claims the high fees and interest it charges the government is because it pre-finances the payment before the government pays later.

7. Because the slave wage of 250 cedis ($17) a month is too low and is not always paid, most cleaners do not go to work, as evidenced in this letter from the AMA Chief Executive.

8. But whether there are cleaners working or not, Zoomlion is paid the full amount by the number of workers it presents. To put it clearly, government officials such as the board members of the YEA, Ministers of State related to the programme and state officials paid to represent our interest know that there are not 45,000 people sweeping the streets and markets across the country, but they multiply that number by 850 cedis and pay to Zoomlion as its monthly bill.

9. In 2018, the YEA CEO, Justin Frimpong Koduah (the current NPP General Secretary), conducted a head count and concluded that the number of cleaners was far lower than what Zoomlion presented for payment. At a press conference in Accra, he said Zoomlion failed to produce its payroll to back its claim. He announced that the contract with Zoomlion would be discontinued, but that did not happen. The government continued to pay Zoomlion even though the company failed to authenticate the numbers.

9. In 2022, the AMA CEO wanted the list of the cleaners working in her metropolis, based on which money is deducted from her Common Fund at source and paid to Zoomlion.

10. The YEA, which signed the contract with Zoomlion and is supposed to recruit the cleaners for Zoomlion, told the AMA CEO that it did not know the number of cleaners being managed by Zoomlion, but it continues to pay Zoomlion based on the number Zoomlion presents. How do I know this?

11. The October 13, 2022 board minutes of the YEA captures the frustration of the YEA CEO, Kofi Baah Agyepong, who wanted the contract with Zoomlion terminated. In the board minutes, the YEA CEO is quoted as confessing that the YEA could not respond to the AMA CEO because the YEA did not know the people who were supposed to be working in the AMA area.

12. The board minutes said:

“The CEO further stated that management does not have the data to authenticate any claims from the service provider [Zoomlion], including the number of beneficiaries at post and working. Hence, when the Accra Metropolitan Assembly requested information on beneficiaries working in the metropolis, management could not provide them with the same. The CEO mentioned that this occasioned a meeting with the regional minister, who raised further issues with the quality of work done in Accra city and its environs.

The CEO stated that management has the capacity to manage the sanitation [module] if given the opportunity.”

13. In 2017, I produced a documentary titled “Robbing the Assemblies”. I revealed that the assemblies had resorted to employing their own sweepers to clean the markets and paying them, even though their Common Fund was being used to pay Zoomlion for the non-existent cleaners in their areas.

14. This means that because of the low wage of 250 cedis a month, which can be in areas for more than a year, many of the supposed sweepers managed by Zoomlion have left the job. But Zoomlion continues to receive payment for managing them. And the assemblies, which are already paying Zoomlion for this service, will have to incur additional costs to clean their streets and markets. If this is not robbing the state to pay a shady company, what is it?

15. Former President John Dramani Mahama knows about this theft because when I first revealed details of this scandal in 2013 as part of my GYEEDA investigations, he was the President of Ghana. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the NPP said at the time that President Mahama could not cancel fraudulent deals such as this because he was personally benefitting from it. The Akufo-Addo administration escalated the shady deals to Zoomlion when he won the 2016 election and got into office. And Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia knows about this as well.

16. Ladies and gentlemen, I have been consistently writing about this since 2013. The CEO of the YEA wants this deal canceled, and I have been told the Local Government Minister, Martin Agyei-Mensah Korsah, is not happy about it.

17. As revealed in my book, “The President Ghana Never Got”, the YEA CEO appealed to top forces in the Akufo-Addo administration, including the presidency, to help him discontinue this brazen theft of our money, but he did not get any support.

18. I don’t write this because I hate Joseph Siaw Agyepong, the Zoomlion CEO, who is a respected elder of THE CHURCH OF PENTECOST. The poor sweepers should not be treated like slaves. And the assemblies, which are paying for their streets and markets to be cleaned, should not use their meagre resources to employ additional sweepers because those managed by Zoomlion have left post, but the company continues to get paid.

19. In 2016, Akufo-Addo told us he was not a thief and would not preside over the stealing of our resources. We believed him and voted for him.

20. Mr. President, the ball is in your court.

PLEASE: Share and forward to any government official you know.

source; Manasseh Azure Awuni

Teachers to receive incentives to buy one vehicle ; Key Highlights from NPP’s 2024 Manifesto Dr Bawumia

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has announced an exciting development for teachers as part of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) 2024 election manifesto. In a bid to improve the welfare of educators across the country, the NPP has promised to provide incentives that will enable each teacher to purchase a vehicle with an engine capacity of up to 1,800 cubic centimeters (cc).

Key Educational Highlights:

• Recruitment of More Special Needs Teachers: The NPP is committed to recruiting more special needs teachers across all levels, ensuring that every student receives the attention and support they need.
• Expansion of Educational Opportunities: To address the housing deficit in public universities and other tertiary institutions, the manifesto includes plans to increase the stock of student accommodation, making it more affordable and accessible.
• Free Tertiary Education Scholarship for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs): This initiative aims to remove financial barriers for PWDs, allowing them to pursue their educational goals without the burden of tuition fees.
• Scholarships and Student Loan Scheme: The NPP plans to:
  • Integrate scholarship databases across all public sector institutions to ensure transparency.
  • Expand eligibility for the Student Loan Scheme to include all post-secondary students, including those in certificate and diploma programs.
  • Prioritize national scholarship schemes towards training and skills development in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
• Centralised Applications Processing Service (CAPS): The full implementation of CAPS will streamline the application process for tertiary institutions, allowing students to apply and pay just once.
• Open University: The manifesto also promises the establishment of an Open University, expanding access to higher education for all.
• Exemption from National Service: Graduates who secure jobs after completing their tertiary education may be exempted from national service, providing them with a smoother transition into the workforce.
• Free SHS/TVET Protection: The NPP remains committed to protecting and enhancing the Free Senior High School (SHS) and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programs, which have already transformed the lives of millions:
  • Enrollment in SHS/TVET has increased by 83% since the inception of the free programs.
  • Gender parity has been achieved, with more girls gaining access to secondary education, positively impacting society.
• Infrastructure Development: To accommodate the increased student population, the NPP plans to continue developing additional infrastructure for educational institutions.

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2024 NPP Manifesto_Highlights

The 2024 flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama, has promised that students in Senior High Schools (SHS) under the government’s Free SHS programme will enjoy nutritious meals if he is elected.

During his recent tour of the Upper East Region, Mahama promised that school authorities would be given the responsibility to procure food for their students, unlike the current system where the National Buffer Stock carries out that responsibility.

This promise comes in response to concerns raised about the challenges the policy is faced with.

Read also: John Mahama promises to reinstate July 1 Holiday if elected

A JoyNews documentary revealed how first-year students of some Senior High Schools (SHS) across the country were forced to eat one specific meal for lunch and supper for an entire term due to an acute food shortage.

For months, parents, teachers, and stakeholders have raised concerns about the alleged shortcomings of the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy, specifically regarding the provision of three daily hot meals to SHS students free of charge.

After over seven years of the policy’s implementation, President Akufo-Addo during the 2024 State of the Nation Address in Parliament on Tuesday, February 27, emphasised its transformative impact.

He called for an end to arguments against the policy, stating that its success should be acknowledged, and efforts should focus on improving it.

According to Mr Mahama, the NDC aims to address the food shortages and improve the quality of meals provided to students in senior high schools.

“We are going to let the headmasters be responsible for procuring food for their students because we want the students to have nutritious meals. We cannot wait for the National Food Buffer Stock to bring food before our children eat,” he said.

source;myjoyonline.com

Profile of Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh (Napo) – NPP Vice Presidential Candidate

Current Roles:

• Minister for Energy
• Member of Parliament for Manhyia South Constituency

Previous Roles:

• Minister of Education
• Medical Doctor

Education:

• Post-Graduate Studies, Netherlands Institute of Health Sciences
• Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
• Human Biology and Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)
• Executive Certificate in Public Leadership (Governance/Leadership) – 2016
• M.Sc. in Clinical Epidemiology (Clinical Research) – 1998
• MB.ChB (Medicine) – 1994
• B.Sc. in Human Biology – 1991
• MRCS (Glasgow) (Surgery) – 2002
• A Level (Science) – 1987
• O Level – 1985
• Certificate – 1980

Hometown:

• Pakyi-No 2

Political Party:

• New Patriotic Party (NPP)

Date of Birth:

• Thursday, 23rd May, 1968

Religion:

• Christian (Anglican by family tradition, currently worships with Makers House Church under Dr. Michael Boadi Nyamekye)

Employment:

• Executive Chairman, Keyedmap Services Limited
• Senior House Officer, NHS-UK
• Member of Parliament, Ghana

Nickname:

• Nana Poku or Napo

Family:

• Grandson of former Ghanaian president John Kufuor
• Son of Ohenena Kwame Kyeretwie, Otumfuo Asantehene’s Apagyahene
• Mother: Madam Elizabeth Akosua Nyarko
• Married to a wife described as “beautiful”; has remarried

Commonly Asked Questions:

• Matthew Opoku Prempeh Wife: He is married.
• Why is Matthew Opoku Prempeh called Napo? This is a nickname derived from his name.
• Matthew Opoku Prempeh Family: Includes notable figures such as former president John Kufuor.
• Matthew Opoku Prempeh Parents: Ohenena Kwame Kyeretwie and Madam Elizabeth Akosua Nyarko.

Recent Development:

• Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh’s name has been sent for confirmation as the NPP’s Vice Presidential candidate for the December 7th Elections.

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EC opens registration for special voting

The Electoral Commission (EC) yesterday opened applications for special voting for qualified institutions and individuals, which has been fixed for Monday, December 2, 2024.

It will close the applications for qualified persons who have a just cause to be granted special voting rights to apply on July 1. The special voting will not be conferred automatically, requiring qualified persons to apply for it.

It would take place in all 276 constituencies across the country, with each voter expected to cast their vote in their constituency as contained in the details of an individual’s Voter ID card.

Special voting

The special voting exercise is guaranteed under Regulation 3(1) of Constitutional Instrument (CI) 127, which states that the voter may apply to the returning officer of the constituency in which the voter is registered so that the voter can be entered as a special voter if as a result of election duties that voter would not be able to be present on the day of the election at the polling station where the voter registered.

The category of voters granted such status comprises staff of the military, police, Immigration Service, Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Prisons Service, the Fire Service, polling officers and permanent staff of the EC and the media.

Double-voting

Applicants for special voting rights should be registered voters in the specific constituencies where they desire to cast their votes. Those who would be granted special voting rights would have their names removed from the regular voting list for the December 7 polls.

“The intention is to prevent double-voting,” the EC Chairperson, Jean Mensa, said, emphasising that the commission had put in place stringent measures to prevent the public from undermining the special voting process.

Mrs Mensa said the district police headquarters were designated as special voting centres in each constituency. She said where the number of voters allocated to a special voting centre exceeded the 750 threshold set by the EC, “another voting centre is designated as a special voting centre to facilitate the voting process within the same centre”.

She said to ensure a seamless application and voting process for all applicants of Special Voting, all applicants should apply directly to the Returning Officer of the constituency where the applicant was a registered voter.

Application process

Mrs Mensa said persons applying for special voting were required to bring along a letter from their institutions indicating that they were staff of the said institution. “Members from institutions who desire to apply as a group may submit a list of their officers to the Returning Officer to serve as a register to facilitate the process.

The list must contain the names of each applicant, the Voter ID number and the Polling Station Code as it appears on the Voter ID Card. These particulars will enable the Returning Officer to verify if the applicant is a registered voter in the constituency.

“Note that all applicants must apply in person to the Returning Officer,” the EC Chairperson emphasised. Also, she advised applicants who have misplaced their Voter ID cards to replace them during the exercise to replace lost ID cards to enable them to state the correct particulars for their applications.

Electoral Commission EC Short code to Replace Voters ID Card And Amount to Pay

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North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, is leading a protest today, Tuesday, June 18, against the sale of four Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) hotels to Rock City Hotel Limited, which is owned by Ghana’s Minister of Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong.

The NDC MP stated that the protest aims to compel the president to prevent the sale of these hotels. During a news conference at the press centre on Monday, June 17, he confirmed that all arrangements for the demonstration are complete.

He emphasised his expectation for a peaceful protest and assured that any individuals attempting to incite chaos would be dealt with by the Ghana Police Service.

Mr Ablakwa also mentioned that he anticipates officials from the presidency will meet the demonstrators and receive their petition for submission to the president.

The former Deputy Education Minister speaking at a press conference on Monday, June 17, reiterated the importance of the demonstration in ensuring that the sale does not proceed, highlighting the urgency and significance of their cause.

“We have agreed with the police on the condition that the representatives of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will walk from the Jubilee House and meet us at the Christ the King Catholic Church to receive our petition.”

“We are very peaceful protestors and law-abiding as well. So we can give the Ghanaian people the full assurances that this agreement with the Ghana Police Service will be adhered to,” he said.

Mr Ablakwa has already petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate the transaction.

However, he stated that he feels compelled to take this additional step because, despite widespread opposition, information he has obtained indicates that the process to finalize the deal is still ongoing.

Citing CHRAJ’s history of conducting thorough investigations, Mr Ablakwa expressed concern that the deal could be completed before the Commission concludes its inquiry.

Therefore, he believes it is necessary to exert extra pressure on SSNIT to halt the transaction.

Source; Myjoyonline.com

Hunter Biden Found guilty of all charges in gun trial

Hunter Biden has been found guilty on all three charges in his federal gun trial, becoming the first son of a sitting US president to be criminally convicted.

Prosecutors said Biden, 54, lied about his drug use on a federal form when he bought a handgun in 2018.

Biden pleaded not guilty, claiming he was in recovery from drug addiction at the time and was therefore truthful on the gun application form.

A panel of 12 Delaware jurors reached their verdict after about three hours of deliberations.

Biden showed little emotion as he learned his fate on Tuesday. He stared ahead with arms folded before turning around to hug some of the associates on his legal team.

He faced two charges related to lying about his drug use on a federal background check, and one for possessing a gun while addicted to or using drugs.

Once court was adjourned, he kissed and embraced his wife before walking out of the room, escorted by Secret Service agents.

Biden said in a statement that he was “disappointed by the outcome”, but “grateful today for the love and support I experienced this last week from Melissa, my family, my friends, and my community”.

Several members of Biden’s family had supported him in court throughout the trial. However, only two were present for sentencing: his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, and James Biden, his uncle, and US President Joe Biden’s brother.

US First Lady Jill Biden arrived in the lobby of the court minutes after the verdict was read, and left with her step-son past throngs of photographers and journalists.

Experts say it is possible Hunter Biden could face prison time – although it would be highly unlikely for him to receive the maximum sentence of 25 years.

The judge did not set a date for sentencing, but noted that it would usually take place within 120 days of conviction.

Abbe Lowell, the defence lawyer, said he would “vigorously pursue all the legal challenges available to Hunter”.

Speaking after the conviction, special counsel David Weiss said the case was not about addiction, but about “the illegal choices the defendant made” while in the throes of addiction – echoing the words of the trial prosecutors.

“No-one in this country is above the law,” Mr Weiss said. “Everyone must be accountable for their actions, even this defendant.”

New Yorkers react to Hunter Biden’s guilty verdict

President Biden was meanwhile on Tuesday addressing a gun control conference in Washington DC.

Following that event, he headed to Wilmington. After landing he greeted his son, daughter-in-law, Mrs Cohen Biden, and their child, Beau, on the tarmac.

The president said after the verdict that he was “so proud” of his son for his efforts to beat his addictions.

“So many families who have had loved ones battle addiction understand the feeling of pride seeing someone you love come out the other side and be so strong and resilient in recovery,” he said.

Before the verdict, the president said he would not pardon his son if convicted.

“I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal.”
Getty President Joe Biden hugs his son outside a carGetty

The three gun charges all relate to Biden’s purchase of a Colt Cobra Special revolver at a Delaware gun store in October 2018, which he kept for about 11 days.

The gun was later discovered in his truck and discarded by his then-girlfriend Hallie Biden – the widow of his brother Beau – in a rubbish bin outside a shop.

Biden has been candid in the past about his “full-blown addiction” to crack cocaine, including in his memoir.

Jurors also heard from his ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle, and a former girlfriend, Zoe Kestan, who described long crack binges at luxury hotels across the country.
EPA Hunter Biden with First Lady Jill Biden and wife Melissa CohenEPA
Hunter Biden with Jill Biden (left) and Melissa Cohen Biden, leaving court on Tuesday

Biden’s conviction comes at a politically fraught time for his father, who is in a tight race with Donald Trump for re-election this November.

Mr Trump, the former US president who was last month convicted of falsifying business records in New York City, rejected any suggestion that the trial of his political opponent’s son showed the US justice system to be politically impartial.

“This trial has been nothing more than a distraction from the real crimes of the Biden Crime Family,” Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

But the conviction was welcomed by other Republicans who interviewed Hunter Biden as a part of their impeachment probe into his father.

“Today’s verdict is a step toward accountability,” House Oversight Chairman James Comer said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

In court, both Mr Lowell and the prosecutors repeatedly told jurors that Biden’s family should have no bearing on their decision, even with the first lady and Secret Service officers clearly visible from the jury box.

Speaking to the BBC hours after the verdict, one of the jurors – known as No 10 – said that he and others on the panel took those messages to heart.

“I was never thinking of President Joe Biden” during the trial, he said. “Even though Mrs Biden was there and I knew that was his wife. Somehow, you block that out of your mind.”

“His dad wasn’t on trial,” he said. “Out of all the jurors, nobody mentioned anything about political motivations.”

Biden’s legal troubles will not end after Tuesday’s verdict. He also been charged in a separate criminal case with evading $1.4m (£1.1m) in taxes between 2016-19 while spending millions on drugs, escorts and luxury cars.

That case will go to trial in September.

Source; BBC