Polls declare Mahama winner of IEA debate

Source: Joy Online

President John Mahama has taken a narrow lead as the best performing candidate in the IEA Presidential Debate held Tuesday in Tamale.

Popular votes sampled on three credible websites in Ghana myjoyonline.com, peacefmonline.com, graphic.com.gh put President John Mahama of the NDC at 5812, Nana Akufo-Addo at 5,767, CPP’s Dr Abu Sakara at 1254 with the PNC’s Hassan Ayariga trailing with 113 votes.

It must be stressed that the polls are unscientific and may not reflect the actual situation on the ground.

After the stimulating debate spiced with biting exchanges, especially from the leading contenders in the 2012 elections, President John Mahama of the ruling NDC and Nana Akufo-Addo of the opposition New Patriotic Party, many political watchers Myjoyonline.com spoke to, thought Dr Abu Sakara won the day, but voters, political enthusiasts and users of the internet who voted in polls of selected websites think otherwise.

As at Thursday, November 1, 2012, 12:00 noon, the poll on Ghana’s comprehensive website Myjoyonline.com indicated that John Mahama had taken a narrow lead with 4916 representing 48.11 per cent. Nana Addo had polled 4,237 votes representing 41.47 votes. The CPP’s Dr Abu Sakara and PNC’s Hassan Ayariga had polled 978 and 87 votes representing 9.78 per cent and 0.85 per cent. respectively.

On the Graphic website, President John Mahama had polled 412 representing 45.3 per cent. Nana Akufo-Addo polled 387 representing 42.5 per cent. Abu Sakara and Hassan Ayariga polled 99 and 12 respectively representing 10.9 and 1.3 respectively.

The story was however different on peacefmonline.com where Nana Addo had taken a commanding lead with 1176 votes representing 58.30 votes. President John Mills followed with 518 votes representing 25.68 per cent. Hassan Ayariga again trailed with 17 votes representing 0.84 and Dr Abu Sakara also polled 189 votes representing 9.37 per cent.

Who do you think won the debate.

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Nana Addo Should Start A Church - Afriyie Ankrah

Source: Peace FM

The deputy minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Mr. Elvis Afriyie Ankrah has scoffed at Nana Addo’s ambition of becoming president, by stating that the former attorney general under ex-president Kufour’s administration deserves to start a church instead of being in main stream politics.

Mr. Ankrah who doubles as President Mahama’s Campaign Coordinator for the 2012 general elections, made this startling comment during an interview with Radio Gold.

Giving an in-depth break down on how Nana Addo excelled during the just ended IEA debate, Mr. Elvis Afriyie Ankrah acknowledged that though the NPP’s flagbearer tried to answer questions that were put to him, “he sounded more like somebody who was preaching or a motivational speaker”.

"Nana Addo in particular didn’t seem to understand the policies and programs of government, not even NDC government,but the policies that are being implemented currently.
He didn’t understand the problems of the country and he sounded more like somebody who was preaching or a motivational speaker (believe me and I will do it)".

The deputy minister for Local Government and Rural Development singled out Nana Addo and described him as a presidential candidate who has inadequate understanding of what governance entailed.

He described Nana Addo as a person full of "empty rhetoric" and produced "no substance" when given the opportunity to prove what he is worth.
He also accused the NPP flagbearer of habitually criticizing the NDC government without providing cogent solutions to solving the wrongs he had identified.

"Ask him how much free SHS would cost, he doesn’t know, how he would do it, he doesn’t know,how he will deal with infrastructure, he doesn’t know...it is that kind of thing 'believe me I have the passion, I have the vision and I will do it'.
Show us how; he hasn’t been able to answer", Mr. Ankrah posited.

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NPP stole our 'Kayayei' initiative- Tony Aidoo

Source: Joy Online

The Head of Monitoring and Evaluation at the presidency, Dr. Tony Aidoo, has accused the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) of stealing a policy to provide housing for heard porters from the ruling party’s manifesto.

The porters who troop from northern Ghana to the south in search of unavailable jobs end up living in the streets while carrying goods in markets.

Nana Akufo-Addo, last month, promised his administration will provide free hostels for the porters popularly called ‘Kayayei when voted into power. But this promise has generated angry reactions from government.

President John Mahama described the proposal as insulting, saying it only meant the porters will “…continue to carry people’s goods.”

Speaking on Joy FM’s political talk show Cross Fire Wednesday, Dr. Tony Aidoo contradicted the president and revealed the policy was actually proposed by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the 2004 electioneering campaign.

“In 2004, the NDC produced a manifesto and part of our social welfare programmes was to build what we called dormitories towards the creation of peri-urban agriculture farming unit.

“That is what they (NPP) have stolen to build hostels for kayayeis…” he insisted.

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Former NPP Minister Confesses

Source: Al-Hajj

Says Free SHS Will Not Work

Supports NDC’s Commonsense Approach of Providing Quality

Education With Improved Infrastructural Development

There are some politicians who fear God and will not lie to help their bosses to deceive the general public in pursuit of their political ambitions. One such person is Papa Owusu Ankomah, former Minister of Education in the erstwhile Kufuor’s NPP administration.

Without mincing words, the former Education Minister, speaking on an Accra based radio station (Joy FM) pointed out that his party’s flagbearer, Mr. Williams Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo will have a herculean task implementing his much espoused Free-Senior-High school policy in the unlikely event he is elected President. On the same wave-length with the ruling National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) common sense approach of providing quality education with emphasis on infrastructural development, Papa Owusu Ankomah said, the country has infrastructural development deficit as far as the educational sector is concerned, that poses a huge challenge for the implementation of the NPP’s free SHS policy. The latest confession by the former Education Minister, vindicates the NPP Director Communications, Nana Akomea’s position that he does not know what his flagbearer’s free SHS policy is about.

According to Nana Akomea, he does know the cost involved as far as the free SHS policy that his flagbearer has been trumpeting all over “I don’t know the total cost”, the NPP’s Director Communications publicly exposes his boss, in Joy FM’s flagship programme, Newsfile weeks ago. Below is published unedited, what Papa Owusu Ankomah had said about his flagbearer’s FREE SHS POLICY, as culled from Myjoyonline; and please judge for yourselves whether or not the NPP and its leader should be taken seriously.

Free SHS will be tough but...

A former Minister of Education in the Kufuor Administration, Papa Owusu Ankomah has predicted that an Akufo-Addo led presidency would have tough challenges implementing its flagship free SHS policy.

According to him, one of the immediate challenges that the NPP will encounter is inadequate infrastructure as enrollment is expected to shoot up astronomically.

The Member of Parliament for Sekondi who was speaking to Joy FM’s Western regional correspondent, Kweku Owusu Peprah said he is confident that the NPP has the right leadership to implement this “tough policy”.

Papa Owusu Ankomah expressed concerns that the free SHS policy will lead to a situation where parents will shirk entire responsibility on the upkeep of their wards in SHS.

The Sekondi MP was however confident that the NPP would successfully implement the free SHS policy should the party be voted to power in the December 7 polls. Source: Joyonline

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Mills Betrayed Me - JJ Reveals

Source: Al-Hajj

Former president Jerry John Rawlings has for the first time given a hint regarding the cause of his strained relationship with the late president John Atta Mills.

At a lecture organized by the Centre for Freedom and Accuracy (CFA), at which he was the special guest of honour, Mr. Rawlings, unwittingly gave away the motive for his extreme abhorrence of his former protégé and former president, Mills, when he recounted:

“And I do recall very well that in one of his (Mills) major press conferences, President Mills said, and I recall this very well: ‘I will not inherit anybody else's enemies…’

“It is there in the records go listen to it,” Mr. Rawlings told a large and ecstatic audience at the conference hall of the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel in Accra last week.

Betraying the pain he underwent due to the purported statement by the late president, Rawlings, the man who ruled Ghana the longest told his sometimes bemused listeners:

“I don't think I went out of my way to create enemies. For the charges that I was making against the NPP, I disagreed with President Mills on the approach because I felt some of the investigations were done in a manner that suppressed indicting evidence.”

With his ‘political soul mate’ and wife of nearly thirty-five years, Nana Konadu by his side and nodding in agreement, the former Air Force pilot turned Head of State, then proceeded to defend his recent newfound cordiality with the opposition New Patriotic Party.

“…when the presidential candidate of the NPP, Nana Akufo-Addo came to my office, some of our people just could not take it... that how I could have allowed this…..,” he asked rhetorically.

Explaining further, Rawlings said, “Our late President [Mills] was known as the Asomdwehene. And I guess part of that credential came from the fact that he treated the opposition in a very civilized manner so he was Asomdwee. And if today it is the most desirable way to ensure a peaceful co-existence, why should I continue to remain in a place to be regarded as the trouble maker...the war monger..?

Continuing, Mr. Rawlings said of the late President, “His relationship with President Kufuor, with Nana Akufo-Addo, school friend, this and that and I was left out there. And yet, the very reason why I was war-mongering on the killings and corruption Asomdweehene didn't seem to be taking them up,” Mr. Rawlings stated sarcastically.

He accused his ruling National Democratic Congress government of failing to right the wrongs under the Kufuor administration, hence its phobia of going into opposition.

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NPP is highly irresponsible on funding of free SHS

Source: Peace FM Online

Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., says it is “sheer irresponsibility” and an “insult” to Ghanaians for any politician to claim that if his party assumes power, they will not honour the payment of judgment debt but will use such monies to fund the cost of education.

Accusing the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) of deliberately keeping the issue of judgment debt alive for purposes of political expediency, Mr Pratt stated that some members of the NPP's Communication Team have been constantly trumpeting that under Nana Akuffo Addo's administration, judgment debts would not be paid and that those monies would be used to fund the free Senior High School policy.

According to him, the worrying aspect of the “NPP propaganda”, is that it “does not respect facts and indeed it does not respect the people of Ghana”.

He was of the conviction that such a stance clearly undermines the authority of the courts, pointing out that there is no way the NPP can say that they will not pay judgment debt, if they ‘claim to believe in the rule of law’.

Moreover, he said, most of these cases of judgment debts are lawful and cannot be avoided.

“As far as the NPP is concerned, judgment debt is one of the issues they want to ride on to power. They are deliberately keeping the issue of judgment debt alive. What is worrying about the NPP propaganda is that it does not respect facts and indeed it does not respect the people of Ghana…There are many people in the NPP who have gone out and made the claim that the NPP government will not pay judgment debt and that it will be used to offset the cost of education so that education can be free.

As far as I am concerned, these statements are highly irresponsible and they are not statements expected from people who claim to believe in the rule of law…it is sheer irresponsibility and an insult to the people of Ghana for any politician to mount a podium and claim that if it comes to power, judgment debt will be used for education and will not be paid. It is irresponsible and it ought to be pointed out clearly,” Kwesi said contributing to panel discussions on Radio Gold’s news analysis programme, “Alhaji and Alhaji”.

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Cost of training doctors in Ghana: GMA sets record straight

Source: Joy Online

The two main contenders for the 2012 elections, NDC's John Dramani Mahama and NPP's Nana Akufo-Addo were involved in a huge debate as to whether training doctors in Ghana is more cost effective than Cuba or vice versa.

At the IEA Presidential Debate in Tamale on Tuesday, the NPP’s Nana Akufo-Addo claimed information put out by the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) on the internet say the cost of training a medical doctor in Ghana for the entire six-year is 30,000 US dollars.

He therefore accused the government of sending 250 Ghanaians to Cuba to be trained as doctors at a cost of 105,000 US dollars per a person.

According to him, the decision was financially imprudent and not strategic. He believed that Ghana would have been better served if that money was channeled into local training institutions.

NPP presidential candidate’s submission attracted a sharp rebuttal from President John Dramani Mahama who maintained that the cost of training a doctor in Cuba is just $5,000 far below the cost as Nana Addo claimed.

He therefore accused the NPP candidate of “conjuring figures” to misinform the public.

The contrasting figures gave cause to many Ghanaians to wonder which of the two gentle men seeking their mandate to rule from 2013 to 2016 is lying or otherwise.

The General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association, Dr. Frank Serebour speaking on Joy FM's Top Story Wednesday said the association early this year sighted a document quoting $50,660 as the cost of training each doctor in Cuba, a figure they thought was “astronomical”.

Dr Sreboa was however silent on what the association has so far been able to establish as the actual cost, since the figure he insinuated that they "came across" has not been confirmed by the government.

However, he stated that the cost of training a fee paying Ghanaian doctor in the country is $6,000 per a year, running into $36,000 for the entire six year duration.

It would cost a foreigner $7,000 per year to be trained as a doctor in Ghana, he said.

In another development, the pro-NPP pressure group the Alliance for Accountable Governance is challenging the 5,000 dollar figure put out by the President as the cost of training a doctor in Cuba.

They claim to have in their possession, a cabinet memo that pegs the figure at Ghc50,000.

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We are gaining ground on NDC and NPP – Nduom

Source: Joy Online

Flagbearer of Progressive People’s Party Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom has said that his party was “gaining ground” on the two leading political parties; the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Papa Kwesi Nduom who has been excluded from the ongoing IEA presidential debates ahead of the elections in December because his party has no representation in Parliament, posted on facebook Thursday that despite being a new political party, the PPP has gradually built itself to become a competitor.

“A number of people have called me, sent me text messages and asked why I am not a participant in the IEA debate. The IEA has chosen to only invite parties with representation in parliament.

“This despite the fact that our constitution does not require one to have a seat in parliament before becoming president,” the PPP leader noted.

He maintained, “it is not a party that becomes president but a person. That is why our laws permit independent presidential candidates”.

Dr. Nduom said the PPP “will continue to take our message directly to the people in their own communities. We are gaining ground on the NDC and the NPP”.

“We are working hard to be a winner come 7th December 2012, God willing and with the votes of millions of Ghanaians”.

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Argentina ship case bounces back

Source: GNA

Two applications have been filed in the case in which an Argentine Naval Ship had been restrained by a court from bunkering.

The first application, which was filed by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, is seeking for a variation on the ship’s anchorage and the state of affairs of the ship.

The second was filed by the Republic of Argentina seeking leave of the court to enter into conditional appearance in the substantive matter. (This means, Argentina has reservations on the substantive suit.)

When the case was called on Thursday, counsels representing both parties contended that they had not been served with the various applications.

The court therefore adjourned the matter to Monday, November 5 and November 9 to look at the applications.

On October 11, this year, the High Court dismissed a motion by Argentina to set aside orders which had restrained one of its naval ships from moving or bunkering until further notice.

It therefore ordered that the Argentine vessel, ARA Libertad, should remain at Tema Harbour until the hearing of a writ which sought to enforce in Ghana judgments against Argentina issued by the United States District Court and supported by similar judgments in the United Kingdom.

The presiding judge, Mr. Justice Richard Agyei Frimpong said Argentina had not demonstrated the basis for which the injunction on the ship should be set aside.

He said the order he gave earlier on the movement of the ship, which came to Ghana on a goodwill mission as part of a West African tour, was proper.

The Judge said he had given Argentina the option to provide security to the court pending the determination of the case and Argentina had failed to do this.

Mr. Justice Agyei Frimpong said in Argentina, the fiscal agreements it signed with its creditors, waived its own immunity.

On October 9, the court listened to arguments from counsel representing the NML Capital Limited, a subsidiary of Elliot Management, a New York-based investment fund engaged in the investment of pension funds, and the Republic of Argentina.

NML Capital Limited on October 2, went to the Commercial Division of the Fast Track High Court in Accra to obtain an interim injunction against the Argentine ship currently in Ghana, with about 200 men on board.

On December 18, 2006, NML Capital was granted a summary judgement by the US District Court for the recovery from Argentina the principal bond of 284,184,632 dollars with respect to 10.25 per cent of Global Bonds due on July 21, 2030, plus interest thereon.

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Mahama's No 1 position is providential- Amissah-Arthur

Source: GNA

Vice President Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur, Running Mate of President John Dramani Mahama, has asked the Ghanaian electorate to respond positively to providence and vote massively to retain the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).

He said it was no chance, but divine, that the sitting President had the number one position on the ballot paper and interpreted it as that of divine approval for President Mahama to continue to lead the nation after the December polls.

What was left, Vice President Amissah-Arthur said was for the electorate to respond to providence by printing their thumbs on the number one position on the ballot paper for both the NDC presidential and parliamentary candidates on election day.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur made the request when he addressed rallies as part of a two-day tour of the Eastern Region.

The tour has so far taken him to Somanya, Atimpoku, Odumase Krobo, Agormanya on the first day, and Akroso, Boadua and Kade on the second day.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur said the NDC stood for development and asked the people to retain the party to continue with its numerous projects.

“Vote massively for John Mahama, his position on the ballot paper is providential,” Vice President Amissah-Arthur said, at Sakora Park at Kade after having earlier inspected the progress of work and projects at the Kade Senior High Technical School, where he was given a rousing welcome by both students and staff.

The projects which are almost completed started under the late President John Atta Mills. It comprised a boys’ dormitory, three classroom blocks, and administrative block.

The Vice President said it was the responsibility of Government to continue providing schools with facilities to support teaching and learning, and advised the students to do their part by studying seriously.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur assured the students that their vote for the NDC would ensure that more projects are done for their benefit.

“When voting, remember the Government that has brought these projects here; that Government is the one led by John Mahama,” the Vice President said.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur, sought the blessing of Osabarima Agyare Tenadu, the Chief of Kade, and introduced George Agyemang Duah, the NDC Parliamentary for Kade.

At Boadua, near Akwatia, in the Akwatia Constituency, the Vice President introduced Alhaji Baba Jamal, Deputy Minister for Tourism, as the NDC Candidate.

Barima Kofi Boateng, Chief of Akwatia, thanked the Government for creating the new Denkyembuor District.

He appealed to the Government to improve the road network in the area. The Vice President had earlier called on Nana Kwabena Ofori, the Chief of Akroso.

At Akroso, the Vice President also advised political activists to avoid insults in their campaign, explaining that insults do not bring electoral victory.

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Woyome aide slams Agyeman Manu

Source: Radio XYZ Online

Aide to Businessman Alfred Woyome has described as disappointing the testimony provided by the deputy Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee Kweku Agyeman Manu in the Woyome judgment debt Saga.

Mr. Manu appeared at the financial court on Wednesday over a letter he wrote introducing businessman Alfred Woyome to the government for some business contracts which generated the 51 million judgment debt saga.

But aide to Mr. Woyome, Kwame Tawiah in an interview with XYZ News said the submissions made by Mr. Manu in court begs the questions as to why he joined others in being so vociferous when he could have focused on the substantive matter at the time the issue broke out.

“After writing that letter which states that Mr. Alfred Woyome and others were supposed to conclude a loan deal and present a term sheet to the Ministry of Finance for consideration, Mr Agyeman Manu now tells us in court that he didn’t know what happened thereafter.

“So then why was the Minister jumping from radio station to radio station when this matter broke and painting Mr. Woyome in a bad light” Kwame Tawiah said.

Mr. Tawiah lamented that instead of dealing with case of a judegment debt it has been turned into a political stage affair.

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NPP are mongers of fear and panic - Mahama

Source: Radio XYZ Online

President John Dramani Mahama has accused the New Patriotic Party of using tribal politics to create fear and panic among electorates ahead of the elections.

According to the President, the NPP is deliberately using his Gonja lineage to create confusion between Gonja's and Mamprusis in the Northern region to ensure that he loses the December polls.

Speaking at the Wungu Palace at Walewale in the Northern region, President Mahama added that the NPP has adopted this strategy because the signs are clear that there is no way they [NPP] will win the December 7 elections.

President Mahama said “often when people know they are going to lose an election, they start using messages of fear, panic and prejudice and that is exactly what our opponents are doing.

“I know they are going round telling people that John is a Gonja and when he becomes President he is going to create a problem between Gonjas and Mamprusis”.

The President added “let me remind them that I am President already, I have been President since July this year, I am already President of the republic of Ghana and if it was my intention to create any problem I would have had enough time to create it.

“Just ignore them, they are mongers of fear and panic and because they know they are going to lose the election that is their last resort”.

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NPP members attacked

Source: Daily Guide

Nine persons including women are currently nursing various degrees of injuries after they were allegedly attacked by some persons believed to members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) at Sikafo a suburb of the Yendi Municipality.

The victims, some of whom were currently on admission at the Yendi Government Hospital and the Tamale Teaching Hospital were among supporters of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) who were returning from a rally.

Two of the victims have been identified as Abubakrai Merrie and Andaratu Fusheini and are currently receiving medical attention at the Tamale Teaching Hospital as a result of some gunshot wounds they sustained during the attack.

Police in the area confirmed the attack to DAILY GUIDE but disclosed that one person only identified as Gazali has been arrested in connection with the incident, while a hunt has been mounted for Zakaria Ibrahim a.k.a SK and one Amdu Cho all believed to have orchestrated the act.

According to Alhaji Mohammed Habib Tijani NPP parliamentary candidate for the Yendi Constituency, he noticed a week ago that some two vehicles were wrongfully parked on the way to his residence.

He complained severally to the owners to properly park them, as they were obstructing his movement to and from his house but his pleas were rather given a political twist.

In order not to foment trouble, he stopped complaining after he involved some elders who were also disrespected by owners of the said vehicles, who are said to be staunch NDC members.

On Tuesday while returning from a campaign trail with his entourage they got to the scene and realized their passage had been further narrowed as the vehicles had been parked worse than before.

They got down in their bid to have the owners agree with them on the need to do the right thing. They were, however, attacked by some unknown individuals who started shooting sporadically at them injuring nine of them in the process.

According to him, they were rushed to the Yendi Government Hospital where some were treated and discharged for minor injuries but those with severe injuries were admitted whereas some were referred to the Tamale Teaching Hospital.

A formal complaint was immediately lodged with the police leading to the arrest of the suspect who was, among others, identified by the victims as being one of those behind the attack.

*****  ==>> Click Here for PAGE 2 - Ghana News of 1st November 2012

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