Former President John Dramani Mahama has urged Ghanaians to uphold the constitution and refrain from entertaining any intentions of endorsing a potential coup d’état in Ghana.
The Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) emphasized that despite the current economic challenges in the country, considering a coup should not even be the last resort.
This call comes in light of recent coups in West African countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Niger.
Addressing the Conference of Regional Imams of Ghana at the 3rd National Conference of Imams in Kumasi, Mr. Mahama also criticized the Akufo-Addo-led government for its handling of national affairs.
“We told NPP the path they were taking was dangerous but our advice fell on deaf ears. And that is the reason we are where we are today and we are all facing the challenges.
So we all have to help out and get out of this mess. But we would have to adhere to constitutional governance so that we are not swayed by the alternative of coups.”
Former President John Dramani Mahama
“We should know that no matter the hardship there will be the opportunity for an election for different people to be elected. It is only left with a year for us to say goodbye to some people and welcome others who can fix the economy. So let’s continue respecting the Constitution. We should never think of coups and everything will be fine,” he stated.
Reading a communique jointly drafted by the regional imams from across the country, Suallah Abdallah Quandah, Executive Secretary, the Conference of Regional Imams of Ghana condemned any advocacy for a coup d’état while urging the government to implement effective measures to address pressing concerns of Ghanaians and thereby prevent any potential calls for a coup d’état.
As part of activities marking his 60th birthday the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has donated assorted food, drinks, toiletries and other items to the Kumasi Children’s Home.
In lieu of his annual birthday lunch with cured lepers at his home in Accra, Dr Bawumia has also sent bags of rice and other items to the inmates of the Weija Leprosarium to help them celebrate his special day.
Dr.Bawumia and his wife making presentation to Kumasi Children’s Home
Accompanied by 2nd Lady Samira Bawumia, the Vice President handed over a number of items including rice (100 bags), sugar (20 bags), diapers (50 packs), tooth brushes (20 boxes), toilet rolls (20 packs), detergents (100 packs), oil (20 boxes), tinned tomatoes (10 boxes), water (150 cartons), assorted drinks (200 cartons) and a large variety of biscuits.
As well, to mark 60 years of life, Dr Bawumia donated Ghs 60,000 to help in the running of the Home, and pledged to provide a Coaster bus and also serve as Patron.
“Everyone needs some form of help, but in my opinion those with the most need are these children in orphanages, who are here through no fault of theirs. That’s why I chose to spend my birthday with the children in this Home, as I am here in Kumasi on my birthday,” he explained.
“Every year I spend my birthday with the vulnerable in society, so you can be sure that if God gives me life, this is not the last time you will see me or hear from me on my birthday,” Dr Bawumia pledged.
The Managress of the Kumasi Children’s Home, Mabel Amponsah expressed the appreciation of the almost 90 children at the institution, some with disabilities, noting that Dr Bawumia’s decision to spend his birthday with vulnerable and abandoned children is a clear indication of his love for humanity.
“As you have shown us love and care on your special day, we pray that your dreams and desires will be met. We ask the Almighty to grant you your heart’s desires. We will continue to pray for you.”
Earlier in the day, Muslim and Christian clerics offered prayers and pronounced blessings on Dr Bawumia, wishing him long life and success in his quest to lead the NPP and eventually Ghana.
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is a good man.
Yes, he is a good man. In the flagbearer elections campaign, Dr Bawumia is the most attacked, the most abused, the most vilified, the most disrespected, the most denigrated, and what and what, but he is still calm and very focused.
He has not been responding to his attackers and has not shown any sign of the same.
I wonder how many of his competitors can do the same. Interestingly, those exhibiting such abusive attitudes against the Veep are the ones crying the most.
How interesting it is. First, it was Alan’s supporters. Now it is Ken and his supporters, but Bawumia still remains calm.
They even are not ashamed to lie about the dead mother of the Veep. Really? It is shocking how politics can get us to even lose our respect for the dead. Let them continue, and they will lose and lose big and come and cry like hungry babies with no parents.
Dr.Mahamudu Bawumia during one of his campaign tours
The reality is that NPP delegates know what time it is, and they choose their leaders recognizing the dynamics of the times and seasons.
I can understand the desperation and frustration in some of the aspirants, hence the needless attacks.
But let it be told that their insults and attacks on the person of the Vice President and his family can not win them the elections. What didn’t we see or hear before the superdelegates and what happened?
I thought they said the Grassroots are for them? Why not go to them to campaign? Dr Bawumia is a serious campaigner. Despite the clear signs on the wall, he has been busily focusing on his campaign and criss-crossing the country, sometimes traversing multiple regions in a day. Some people will not focus and be serious about their campaign but only insult, and when they lose, they say what!
The Chairman
Public Accounts Committee
Parliament of Ghana
Parliament House
Accra, Ghana
Dear Sir,
Subject: Petition to Investigate the Financial Situation and Dialysis Cost Increase at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital
I, on behalf of the democratic forum, write this petition to request that the Public Accounts Committee of the Parliament of Ghana conduct a thorough investigation into the financial situation and recent cost increase of dialysis services at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
This petition is prompted by recent claims made by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the hospital, that the Renal Unit is indebted with over 4 million Ghana Cedis.
Our concerns are twofold:
Financial Situation of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital:
It has come to our attention that the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital is facing a substantial financial challenge, as stated by its CEO. We believe that this situation deserves scrutiny to determine the causes and potential mismanagement of funds. An investigation is crucial to ensure transparency and accountability in the use of public resources allocated to the hospital.
Recent Increase in Cost of Dialysis:
We are also concerned about the recent increase in the cost of dialysis services at the hospital. The cost of healthcare services directly affects the well-being of citizens.
We urge the committee to investigate the reasons behind this cost increase, including whether it is justified and if there are measures in place to protect the interests of patients who depend on these services.
Therefore, we kindly request that the Public Accounts Committee:
a. Invites the management of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, including the CEO, to provide detailed information regarding the financial state of the hospital, the sources of indebtedness, and the steps taken to address this issue.
b. Invites the Minister of Health or their representative to provide insights into the oversight and support provided to Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and to explain the government’s plans to address the hospital’s financial challenges.
c. Investigates the recent increase in the cost of dialysis services at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, including an assessment of the factors leading to this increase and its impact on patients.
We believe that a transparent and accountable healthcare system is vital for the well-being of all Ghanaians. Your committee’s intervention in this matter will help ensure that public funds are used efficiently and that healthcare services remain accessible to all who need them.
We thank you for your attention to this matter and look forward to a prompt and comprehensive investigation. Your actions will serve the best interests of the people of Ghana.
Sincerely,
Dr Frank Amoakohene
Executive Director
Democratic Forum
Your Excellency, humongous CONGRATULATIONS on the occasion of your birthday.
You have not wasted your talent. You have utilised the space thus far accorded you by your Creator effectively and efficiently for the benefit of the generality of Ghanaians.
May God continue to expand your frontiers in order to deepen the impact on the lives you touch. And may the crowning glory be most profound, exactly a month from now. Happy birthday!!!
From: Hon Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu,
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs/Majority Leader, and the Leader of Government Business.
A public official (Name withheld, a neighbour who is currently in Kumasi on annual leave nearly met his untimely death on Tuesday,3rd October,2023,when he administered a popular herbal medicine.
According to him, he was only saved by poison resistant charcoal mixture. ( Inset is the amount of blood he vomited immediately after taking the charcoal preparation.
According to the official,he was suffering from a severe waist and chest pains, then he bought a very popular ointment found in almost all the regions in Ghana (Name withheld) and applied it to the affected part and also orally took some as per the advertisment.
Immediately after that,he experienced a severe abdominal pain, ceased chest and severe throat pain resulting In a terrible hicops, he is currently receiving treatment.
He is therefore making a passionate appeal to the appropriate authorities to regulate the activities of these herbal doctors to save lives.
He is also a advising consumers to be extra careful with some of these suger-coated advertisements.
He has declared his intention to report the incident directly to the FDA together with the ointment.
He continued that his medical officer,has advised and he believed same to be true that ointment meant for skin should never be taken orally.
His question therefore is, why are these quack advertisements that ointment can also be taken orally going viral with impunity?
According to him, so far as he has heard two products (both ointments) carrying out this advertisement, being the one which nearly killed him and one other which is also very popular and could be found everywhere in Ghana, he promised that he will present the two to products the FDA when he recovers for forensic analysis or declaration.
He added that he does not intend to legal action or expect any compensation if the results show positive, but he simply finds it as a bound duty and responsibility as a patriotic citizen to save other people’s lives from similar carelessness and unguarded adverts.
Hon.John Kwame Duodu, popularity known as “SIR JOHN’, the First Vice Chairman for the Atwima Nwabiagya South Constituency of the ruling New Patriotic Party(NPP) who doubles as the Ashanti Regional TESCON Patron is advocating for coolheadedness and unity within the ranks of NPP as the date for the Party’s flagbearership race draws closer.
The discord that has emerged within the party after Mr. Alan Kyeramaten’s resignation and the increasing squables among the remaining fragbearer hopefuls are what prompted the Ashanti Regional TESCON Patron’s dispassionate call.
Sir John stated that the party’s major goal is to win the 2024 elections and that it was imperative for the rank and file of the party to adopt a collaborative approach towards the actualisation of this herculean task come December 7, 2024.
NPP supporters. Sir John
‘This is not the time to entertain any internal wranglings and certainly, this is not the time to fuel and deepen the emerging cracks within the party. We have to come out of this presidential primaries as a unified party well poised and strong enough to break the eight and nothing else’, Sir John stated
He further issued an emphatic warning to all party members that if the party is unable to unite strongly ahead of 2024, they face the risk of going into opposition.
He said, “it is the duty of every party person to work towards maintaining the unity within the party, stay focused, and follow only the elephant and not personalities as we continue to work towards giving Ghanaians hope for a better future.
He therefore asked all members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to maintain a united front before, during, and after the party’s presidential primaries..
“And as party executives, if we don’t take charge and diligently exercise control over some of the unpleasant fallouts of this internal elections, I am afraid we may finish the primaries without having a strong party for the great task ahead”, he cautioned the Party hierarchy.
“We must take care to avoid tearing this party apart and allowing rifts within our ranks since the grand agenda of breaking the eight will undoubtedly require a great deal of cooperation and support from all the flagbearer candidates”, he further asserted.
Regarding the recent unpalatable development, Sir John also called on the party’s elders to intervene and settle the ongoing feud between Hon Kennedy Agyapong, one of the key contenders of the NPP flagbearership race and Mr. Bernard Antwi Boasiako, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Party, also known as Chairman Wontumi.
The staunch Ashanti Regional Tescon Patron expressed a strong conviction that the success of the NPP in the 2024 general elections could be severely marred by these internal wranglings, if they are not tackled head-on and resolved quickly.
Kristalina Georgieva, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has expressed a positive outlook on Ghana’s economy, acknowledging a substantial improvement in the country’s economic standing over the last month.
Ghana recently received a $3 billion IMF support package. The country is presently undergoing its inaugural programme review, with the review’s conclusion scheduled for November.
In an interview, Georgieva also discussed the progress made by Zambia and Ghana, both of which faced debt defaults but are now making strides under their respective IMF programs.
Georgieva and Pres.Akufo-Addo
Additionally, she advised Tunisia that while immediate restructuring might not be necessary, it should take prompt measures to fortify its economy.
Georgieva expressed her strong hope for the disbursement of a $600 million second tranche of IMF funds, slated for November, underscoring its significance in fostering confidence in Ghana’s economic stability.
“Ghana is doing actually quite well. You have seen that their position has improved over the last month, and the economy is in a much better place. I would very much hope that we can have the disbursement,” she said referring to a $600 million tranche of IMF money.
Read the report of IMF’s mission team below:
IMF Reaches Staff-Level Agreement on the First Review of the Extended Credit Facility and Conducts Discussions of the 2023 Article IV Consultation with Ghana
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
End-of-Mission press releases include statements of IMF staff teams that convey preliminary findings after a visit to a country. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board. Based on the preliminary findings of this mission, staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF’s Executive Board for discussion and decision.
IMF staff and the Ghanaian authorities have reached staff-level agreement on economic policies and reforms to conclude the first review of the 36-month ECF-supported program. Performance with respect to the program’s targets and reform objectives has been very strong.
Ghana will have access to about US$600 million in financing once the review is approved by IMF Management and formally completed by the IMF Executive Board. To ensure timely completion of the review, the country needs official creditors to quickly reach agreement on a debt treatment in line with the financing assurances they provided in May 2023.
The authorities’ strong policy and reform commitment under the program is bearing fruit, and signs of economic stabilization are emerging. Growth in 2023 has proven more resilient than initially envisaged, inflation has declined, the fiscal and external positions have improved, and the exchange rate has stabilized.
Accra, October 6, 2023: An International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff team, led by Mr. Stéphane Roudet, Mission Chief for Ghana, held meetings in Accra from September 25 to October 6, 2023, to discuss progress on reforms and the authorities’ policy priorities in the context of the first review of Ghana’s three-year program under the Extended Credit Facility. The arrangement was approved by the IMF Executive Board for a total amount of SDR 2.242 billion (US$ 3 billion) on May 17, 2023. The team also conducted the 2023 Article IV consultation.
At the end of the mission, Mr. Roudet issued the following statement:
“I’m very pleased to announce that the IMF staff and Ghanaian authorities have reached a staff-level agreement on the first review of Ghana’s economic program under the Extended Credit Facility arrangement. This staff-level agreement is subject to IMF Management approval and Executive Board consideration once the necessary financing assurances have been received.
An agreement with official creditors on a debt treatment in line with program parameters would provide the needed financing assurances. Upon completion of the Executive Board review, Ghana would have access to SDR 451.4 million (about US$ 600 million), bringing the total IMF financial support disbursed under the arrangement, since May 2023, to SDR 902.8 million (about US$1,200 million).
“Faced with an acute economic and financial crisis, the authorities have adjusted macroeconomic policies, successfully completed their domestic debt restructuring operation, and launched wide-ranging reforms.
These actions are already generating positive results, as growth in 2023 has proven more resilient than initially envisaged, inflation has declined, the fiscal and external positions have improved, and the exchange rate has stabilized.
“Consistent with the authorities’ commitments under the Fund-supported program, fiscal performance has been strong, and Ghana is on track to lower the fiscal primary deficit on a commitment basis by about 4 percentage points of GDP in 2023. Spending has remained within program limits.
To help mitigate the impact of the crisis on the most vulnerable population, the authorities have significantly expanded social protection programs.
On the revenue side, Ghana has met its non-oil revenue mobilization target. Ambitious structural fiscal reforms are bolstering domestic revenues, improving spending efficiency, strengthening public financial and debt management, and enhancing transparency.
“In light of Ghana’s compelling performance under the Fund-supported program, the critical next step is to secure an agreement with official creditors on the terms of a debt treatment consistent with the IMF Executive Board-approved program parameters and debt targets.
We urge official creditors to move forward and agree on an appropriate debt treatment in line with the financing assurances they provided in May 2023.”
IMF staff held meetings with Vice President Bawumia, Finance Minister Ofori-Atta, and Bank of Ghana Governor Addison, and their teams, as well as representatives from various government agencies.
The IMF team also engaged with other stakeholders. Staff would like to express their gratitude to the Ghanaian authorities and other counterparts for their continued open and constructive engagement.
Source:citinewsroom.com
Flagbearer aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, has apologized to the former president and flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, for being harsh to him.
The Assin Central lawmaker eulogized Mr. Mahama as a wonderful gentleman and said he had not been fair to him due to the way he had spoken to him.
Mr. Agyapong in an interview on Starr FM said upon sober reflection he had realized that he had been very unfair to the former president.
He said he is human and liable to faults and apologizes to Mr. Mahama unreservedly.
“The way he has handled me and how I have spoken harshly to John Mahama, I think I have not been fair to Mahama. He is such a wonderful man.
Former President John Dramani Maham
“I apologize, I am a human being. I think I recount my relationship with him and all that I want to say is I am sorry.”Source:Citinewsroom.com
The Director General (D-G) of National Sports Authority (NSA),Prof.Peter O.Twumasi,has announced the commissioning of the 151st Astroturf project at Kotei within the Oforikrom Municipality in Kumasi.
According to him, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Akufo’s administration since 2017 to date,.has for far completed 151 Astroturf projects across the country.
The announcement was contained in a Facebook post by Prof.Peter O.Twumasi,NSA Boss.
The post reads, ‘Government commissions the 151st Astroturf in Oforikrom Municipality (Location and still counting from two (2) in 2017.
Prof.Peter Twumasi and Francis Adomako (Francois),Ash.Reg.NPP organizer
Sports infrastructure widely distributed across the country will ensure effective harnessing of all God-given talents for nation building. Government is thus ensuring that such sports infrastructure is established in every district across the country for sports development and promotion.
