The dilapidated nature of Mankranso-Betom bridge which recently claimed two(2) lives in the Ahafo Ano South West District in the Ashanti Region,has subsequently been fixed by the workaholic District Chief Executive for area Hon Joseph Frimpong Bonsu.
Together with Hon Conscious, Assembly member for Mankranso Betom Electoral area, alongside the Kontihene of Mankranso traditional area ,Nana Oduro Kwarteng facilitated for the fixing of the dead-trap bridge which has already claimed two lives of pupils in the area.
Reasons for fixing the bad nature of the bridge according to the District Chief Executive(DCE) was the increasing rate at which the weak bridge was claiming lives of both the young and the aged in the area .
He stressed that,not long ago ,two pupils with ages range of 9 and 16 years ,respectively fell from the bridge of which all lives were claimed.
Boadi,16 years and
Comfort Anyona, 9 years were the victims..
He according to him,the temporal fixing of the bridge would help accessibility of both farmers and pupils to ply the route devoid of fear.
Adding that a permanent bridge would be fixed soon for the comfortability of users.
The Presiding Member (PM) for Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA),Hon.Patrick Kwame Frimpong has officially commissioned a mechanized Borehole for Krofrom Community.
The PM who doubles as an elected Assembly member for Krofrom East electoral area within the KMA cut the tape to hand over the Borehole to the community on Thursday,14th September,2023 at a short ceremony.
The Forty-five Thousand Ghana cedis(Ghc 45,000) mechanized Borehole project is part of the Ghc 15,000 District Assembly’s Common funds recently allocated to the area.
Hon.Patrick Kwame Frimpong who was accompanied by the Unit Committee members disclosed that the Borehole is intended to help address accessibility of potable water by the residents of the area.
Hon Patrick Kwame Frimpong cutting the tape to commission the mechanized Borehole
According to him,the ongoing Suame interchange project is likely to affect water supply for the community as a result of expected relocation of Ghana Water Company’s main pipes .and the mechanized Borehole project commissioning is part of proactive measures to address the expected challenged.
According to him,since 2009 to-date he has been able to lobby for four(4) mechanized Boreholes ,an ultra-modern Library Complex, school infrastructure among other projects for his electoral area.
He stressed on the need for the community members and the caretaker to take good care of the mechanized Borehole for their own good.He was happy that all the previous Mechanized Boreholes constructed are still working well.
Hon.Frimpong who officially declared his intention to seek re-election in the forthcoming Unit/Electoral area elections revealed that
Krofrom East electoral recently benefited from construction of new drains as part of measures to address erosion problem in the remaining parts of poor town roads yet to be given attention by the government.
He announced that as part of measures to help combat crime and improve security in the area,a new police station project would soon be constructed .
A number of residents who witnessed the commissioning of the mechanized Borehole project commended their Assembly member for his unprecedented achievements.
They promised to renew his mandate to help him continue his good works.
Interestingly,the commissioning of the mechanized Borehole project falls on the 49th birthday celebration of Hon.Patrick Kwame Frimpong.
Hon Patrick Kwame Frimpong celebrating his 49th birthday with the kids and their Teachers
The Krofrom East Assembly member who doubles as KMA PM decided to donates assorted drinks, toffees and biscuits to Krofrom Division Basic School Nursery and K-G pupils to celebrate his 49th Birthday after the commissioning of the Fourth Mechanized Borehole for his electoral area.
A group calling itself Concerned members, faithfuls and sympathisers of the ruling New Patriotic Party ( NPP) in the Juaboso district of the Western north region, has expressed concerned about the conduct and attitude of the NPP chairman for Juaboso, Mr Kwabena Kroko Affum which they alleged could affect the fortunes of the ruling party in 2024 general elections.
According to the spokesperson for the group, Mr Kwabena Kroko Affum who doubles as the elected assembly member for Sefwi Boizan electoral area is allegedly leading an agenda against small scale miners who are mainly staunch members of NPP within the Western north region to undermine the activities of their operations.
They also accused a section of the media in the region for spreading falsehood about their operations
The spokesperson for the group also accused Juaboso NPP chairman for not showing respect to authorities within the Juaboso district including traditional leaders, his own District chief Executive (DCE), the Regional chairman of the Party , the Regional Minister, the district police commander for Juaboso among others.
That the Chairman regards himself as so powerful that nobody could stop him in the Juaboso district and the western north region as a whole.
.
The group spokesperson disclosed that NPP government under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo Addo has initiated a lot of developmental projects in the Juaboso district since assumption of office in 2017 but the conduct of the NPP chairman for Juaboso will affect the chances of Hon. Martha Kwayie Manu, the Parliamentary candidate and that of the presidential candidate come 2024.
The concerned NPP members within the Juaboso constituency therefore seized opportunity to emphatically debunked false publications against them with the intention of collapsing their small scale mining businesses by a section of the media in the region.
It is against the backdrop, they’re appealing to the National Executives of the Party to intervene as soon as possible to call the Chairman to order before it is too late.
Meanwhile,all efforts to reach out to Mr.Kwabena Kroko Affum for his side of the allegations proved unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
Stayed tune for the continuation of the story any time we managed to get Mr.Affum for his version of the claims by the concerned NPP members.
Story by a political desk Report
African super app ayoba has reached a new milestone – surpassing 30 million monthly active users.
This remarkable achievement is a testament to the app’s growing popularity, particularly in focus territories such as Nigeria, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. Moreover, ayoba has successfully broadened its user base into new markets, such as Kenya and Tanzania, contributing to its rapid growth since passing the 25M MAU mark in May 2023.
“Ayoba’s growth reflects our commitment to delivering valuable, user-focused services. This achievement is a significant step in our ongoing journey to deepen connectivity and digital inclusion across Africa and signifies the trust and reliance users have placed in ayoba as a platform that enriches their daily lives.
It also serves as a catalyst for further innovation as we continue to enhance the app’s features to meet the diverse needs of our growing user base,” says Jens Schulte-Bockum, MTN Group Chief Operating Officer.
In 2023, ayoba focused on enhancing communication and content features. These have been well received, as evidenced by a notable increase in music streaming, messaging, and overall user retention. Card Views in the channels vertical have soared, with users viewing over 200M cards this year alone, focusing on news, sports, and comedy. Ayoba also recently announced its first commissioned video drama series, ‘Nite Nite’, produced in Ghana and its inaugural African games, produced by Usiku Games in Kenya.
“Our plan for the year is rolling out strongly, “explains CEO Burak Akinci. ” We’re incredibly grateful for the trust and engagement from our growing community of users. Our strategic execution this year has been laser-focused on what matters most to them.
The positive market response validates our approach to offer user-centric features and localised content.
As we look ahead, our immediate focus is on an enhanced gaming experience set to pilot in South Africa. This is part of our broader vision to make ayoba an integral part of daily life across the continent.”
The introduction of the new ‘Explore’ landing page marks a significant advancement for the Android version of the app. This page is live across all key markets, streamlining content discovery and user access to relevant and trending content.
In line with its commitment to sustainable long-term impact in key markets, ayoba continues to advance its integrated ecosystem development approach revolving around the MicroApps vertical.
This quarter has seen the launch of a key initiative in Nigeria, the ayoba SME Accelerator program.
Specifically designed to digitise, empower, and accelerate the growth of small businesses, the program aims to foster innovation, enhance competitiveness, drive growth, and create sustainable employment opportunities.
Furthering its impact, ayoba’s e-Track Portfolio, managed at the Solution Space at the University of Cape Town, has also seen significant success. The program – a two-phase early-stage venture acceleration and capacity-building program designed for high-impact entrepreneurs in South Africa and beyond, has recently welcomed an additional 15 high-impact startups to the portfolio.
In May 2023, ayoba hosted a high-profile continent-wide Gaming Hackathon to foster innovation and creativity in game development tailored for an African audience. The event attracted hundreds of participants, and the top 3 teams have been selected. Their games are soon to be featured on the app, adding to ayoba’s expanding gaming portfolio.
Born from a partnership with MTN, ayoba is available on all networks. Ayoba users in certain participating territories enjoy complimentary daily data, amplifying its value proposition*. With this momentum, ayoba is on track to achieving 100 million monthly active users by 2025, in line with MTN’s Ambition 2025 strategy.
*VoIP and video call are not zero rated for MTN subscribers
The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has held balloting for its flagbearer hopefuls ahead of the delegates conference on November 4.
At the end of the balloting held in Accra on Wednesday, September 13, 2023, Kennedy Agyapong picked the first slot followed by Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia who picked the second slot.
Former Minister for Agriculture Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto picked the third slot while former MP for Mampong, Francis Addai Nimo picked the fourth slot.
The balloting was conducted by the party’s national election committee. The NPP is expected to hold its national delegates conference on November 4 to elect its flagbearer for the 2024 general elections.
The party is currently in a four-horse race, with Ken Agyapong, Dr Bawumia, and Dr Akoto being the main contenders. Alan Kyeremateng pulled out of the race after the Special Delegates Conference.
Ken Agyapong, who is a popular NPP Member of Parliament for Assin Central, has been a vocal critic of the government and has promised to bring about change if he is elected flagbearer.
Dr. Bawumia is the current vice president and is seen as the frontrunner in the race. He is seen as a safe pair of hands and is popular among the party’s intellectuals.
Dr. Akoto is a former minister of agriculture and is seen as a technocrat.
The NPP is the ruling party in Ghana and has been in power since 2017. The party is hoping to win a third term in office in the 2024 general elections.
The NPP is facing a strong challenge from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). The NDC is led by former president John Mahama and is hoping to return to power in 2024.
The 2024 general elections are expected to be a closely contested race. The NPP and the NDC are the two main contenders.
The E.C commenced the limited registration exercise yesterday at it’s various district offices.
As the regional organizer of the ruling NPP, I toured some disctrict offices to have first hand information so far as the process is concerned.
Francis Adomako interacting with EC officials during the tour.
I must commend the E.C and various stakeholders for ensuring smooth process at it’s various district offices. I wish to once again, remind all those who qualify for this registration to do well, and get it done.
grassroots, our power
*breakingthe8
*Francis Adomako, NPP Ashanti Regional Organizer
The Paramount Chief of the Mampong Traditional area, Daasebere Osei-Bonsu II is advocating for the creation of a University of Mampong, which would incorporate all tertiary educational institutions in the area.
Daasebere Osei-Bonsu II,
The traditional area is home to major higher educational institutions including technical, vocational, and teacher training colleges.
According to Daasebere Osei-Bonsu II, the present dispersed institutions would operate more effectively and efficiently under a centralised university.
Speaking at a celebration at the Mampong Technical College of Education (MAMTECH), the paramount chief stated, “We (chiefs and council of elders) together with the assembly through the MCE, have appealed to the Honourable Minister of Education to join all these conglomeration of various educational institutions scattered within the Mampong Traditional Area into one University of Mampong. We plead for that and we demand for that.”
He also insisted that the excuse which is often given to him that government does not have sufficient funds to foot the bill for his proposal, is not plausible.
Daasebere Osei Bonsu II highlighted that there were other developmental projects being undertaken by government in the area, therefore “It is completely wrong,” for insufficient funds to be used to brush away his request.
In his opinion, the financial impact of the procedure on the government would be minimal.
Meanwhile, in attendance at the ceremony was the Director General for the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET), Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah who lauded MAMTECH for its role in providing an industry-ready workforce
Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh was on Friday 8th September, 2023 awarded at the 2023 edition of the Africa Public Sector Conference and Awards (APSCA) held in Nairobi, Kenya for his Transformational Leadership in the energy sector since assuming office as Minister.
The awards ceremony was organized on the margins of the Africa Climate Summit, which saw Heads of State, Ministers, Senior government officials of various African countries and key stakeholders gathering to deepen conversations on the global climate change agenda especially from the African perspective.
Addressing different gatherings during the Summit Dr. Prempeh used the opportunity to reiterate Ghana’s efforts at reducing carbon emissions pursuant to its commitment to the global climate agenda.
Dr.Mathew Opoku Prempeh (NAPO)
He said these efforts are within the broader context of Ghana’s blue-print towards achieving net zero.
Touching on the role of energy efficiency in Africa for the development of affordable, clean energy system for the future, the Minister who is also Member of Parliament for Manhyia South highlighted Ghana’s prioritization of energy efficiency which dates back to 2005.
“This is when we launched the appliance standards and labelling regime to date where we have passed legislations to back same” he said.
The Minister sindicated that the lighting retrofit led to savings of 124MW with 6000 CFLS deployed to replace 6000 incandescent lamps.
The transformational energy sector leadership award was received on the Energy Minister’s behalf by Deputy Director General of the Ghana Education Service, Dr. Bempah Tandoh.
It may be recalled that, Dr. Prempeh in 2022 was named at the Africa Public Sector Conference and Awards held at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel as the Best Minister for the period under review, touting his outstanding leadership as Energy Minister.
This award is an addition to a number of awards received by the Minister for his remarkable leadership as a public official with the recent one being an honorary Doctorate Degree conferred on him by the University of Cape Coast, also for his outstanding leadership
Source:metrotvonline.com
The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress(NDC),Hon.Johnson Aseidu Nketia aka General Mosquito has alleged that Jean Mensah-led EC is determined to rig the 2024 elections through voter suppression.
According to him, in 2019, the EC conducted limited voter registration in 1500 electoral area centres.” Why will the EC reduce this number of registration centres to 268 now that they have a huge backlog of about 2.8 million persons to register? It simply doesn’t make sense.
This irresponsible and unconscionable decision of the commission confirms the NDC’s long held view that the Jean Mensah-led EC is determined to rig the 2024 elections through voter suppression. But she will fail because we are ready for them”.
The above was contained in a press statement read on Tuesday,12th September,2023 at an emergency press conference organized by the national chairman at the Party’s headquarters,Accra.
The full statement is published below:
Ladies and gentlemen, as you may be aware, the NDC, CPP, APC, LPG & GCPP last week Thursday, filed a suit against the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana in the Supreme Court over the Commission’s unlawful and unreasonable decision to restrict centres for the Limited Voter Registration exercise to their District Offices.
The PNC has subsequently thrown their weight behind the suit with the hope of joining same in the Supreme Court.
This suit was filed simply because the EC’s decision to restrict the centres of voter registration to their 268 district offices has the potential to deprive many eligible voters of their right to be registered as voters and to vote in public elections.
Pending the final determination of the substantive matter, the parties have duly filed an Application for Interlocutory Injunction in the Supreme Court to restrain the EC from proceeding with the announced limited voter registration exercise; which as you are well aware, the exercise commenced today, Tuesday, 12th September, 2023.
Even though registration has commenced, this suit at the Supreme court is only the first of a series of actions that we intend to take to compel the EC to conduct limited voter registration at the electoral area level to give all eligible voters access to the process in line with the letter and spirit of Article 42 and 45 of the 1992 Constitution, Regulation 2(1)(2) of C.I 91 and the EC’s own time-tested practices.
The basis of this suit are that;
Article 42 of the 1992 Constitution provides that every citizen of Ghana, 18 years and above and of sound mind is entitled to be registered as a voter and to vote in public elections and referenda.
We firmly believe the EC’s decision to restrict registration centres to their district offices will deprive many eligible Ghanaians of their right to be registered as voters and lead to voter suppression.
Also, whereas Article 45(e) of the 1992 Constitution mandatorily enjoins the EC to undertake programs to expand the registration of voters, the EC’s decision to restrict registration centres to their district offices will reduce access to voter registration. Hence contravenes Article 45(e) of the Constitution.
Again, the EC’s decision to restrict registration centres to their district offices violates Regulation 2(2)(b) of C.I 91 (Amended by C.I. 126) – the law that governs centres for voter registration.
Regulation 2(2)(b) of C.I 91 provides:
“In designating a place as a registration centre, the Commission shall take into consideration
the suitability of the place for use as a polling station on election day; and
(b) the accessibility of the place to prospective applicants for registration.”
Given the fact that the district offices of the EC are not suitable for use as polling stations on Election Day, the decision by the EC to restrict voter registration to its district offices is not only unreasonable but unlawful.
Also, given the long distances that many eligible voters will have to travel and the exorbitant fares they will have to pay to transport themselves to district offices of the EC under the excruciating hardships Ghanaians are presently confronted with, the decision is insensitive, unreasonable, unlawful and unconscionable.
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s instructive to note that Regulation 30 of C.I 91 enjoins the EC to revise the voters’ register annually and to do so at the electoral area level.
Yet, the Jean Mensah-led EC has violated the law in the last two years by not conducting any limited registration in 2021 and 2022.
This has created a huge backlog of about 2.8 million eligible persons including unemployed youth who are entitled to be registered.
This huge backlog is the more reason why the EC’s decision to restrict voter registration to their district offices is unconscionable and preposterous.
In 2019, the EC conducted limited voter registration in 1500 electoral area centres. Why will the EC reduce this number of registration centres to 268 now that they have a huge backlog of about 2.8 million persons to register? It simply doesn’t make sense.
This irresponsible and unconscionable decision of the commission confirms the NDC’s long held view that the Jean Mensah-led EC is determined to rig the 2024 elections through voter suppression. But she will fail because we are ready for them.
Aside it’s potential to suppress registration and voting, the EC’s decision to restrict voter registration to its district offices can promote and facilitate gerrymandering as agents of political parties will find it difficult to challenge persons who may be bused from one constituency to another to register.
Ladies and gentlemen, in addition to the NDC, there are 4 other political parties who are plaintiffs in the instant case at the Supreme Court. And as already indicated, the PNC has also thrown its weight behind the suit.
In fact, CODEO, Care Ghana and other stakeholders in our electoral space have all criticized this unreasonable decision of the NDC.
Apart from the ruling and corrupt New Patriotic Party, no other political party or stakeholder has supported this decision by the EC. This clearly shows that the EC is the problem and not the NDC.
And we know the only reason why the NPP is supporting this unreasonable and unlawful decision is because they are the masterminds and and sole beneficiaries of same.
In an unusual twist – when our lawyers filed the injunction application last week Thursday – we were informed by the Registrar of the Supreme Court that the due date for the Application for Interlocutory Injunction to be moved will be given on Monday upon the expressed instructions of the Chief Justice of our dear Republic of Ghana.
The decision by the registry of the Supreme Court to defer giving a hearing date for the injunction application on grounds that the Chief Justice is currently out of Accra leaves much to be desired as the CJ should have delegated someone to act in her absence as the practice is.
The administration of justice in our apex court cannot come to a stand-still simply because the Chief Justice is indisposed or unavailable to give hearing dates. What happened to the e-Justice system the John Mahama led NDC administration toiled for? This deliberate delay should not happen in any civilized country. This is completely unacceptable!
This is yet again another clear evidence of judicial manipulation and we condemn it in no uncertain terms.
We are aware that the EC has also been served with two applications for injunction from Courts of Competent Jurisdiction, specifically the High Court. Yet, the lawless Jean Mensah-led EC has decided to flout these injunction applications by going ahead with the registration exercise in flagrant disregard of the letter and spirit of the rule of law.
We wish to emphasise that the EC’s decision to proceed with the limited voter registration exercise today despite being served with two injunction applications from the courts contradicts an important precedent set by they themselves during the 2023 NDC Presidential and Parliamentary primaries when they publicly announced the suspension of their supervision of our primaries on grounds of a suit and injunction application filed by Dr. Kwabena Duffour. What has changed? Why this inconsistency?
Ladies and gentlemen, notwithstanding these pending legal matters, the NDC is fully ready for the registration +exercise which was illegally commenced by the EC today.
We are ready! Very ready. But we care for the poor registrants who must cater for the cost and constraints of being registered to vote.
We currently have our agents and officers in all 268 district offices of the EC.
We are keenly and actively monitoring the process and will ensure that the manipulations of the EC & the ruling NPP calculated to suppress votes and rig the process are defeated. NDC shall always stand and fight for the masses.
We therefore wish to call on all NDC officials at all levels, members, sympathizers and Ghanaians as a whole to encourage and fund and assist all eligible persons or prospective registrants to defy the EC and participate in the ongoing registration exercise.
Your vote is your power! Don’t allow the Jean Mensah led EC to rob you of it no matter what.
Relatedly, we have outlined some discrepancies in the registration process which commenced this morning. And we wish to share a few with you in order to jolt the EC into action. We expect the EC to act swiftly in order to avert any further loss of confidence in the Commission.
