The month of love, February, did not start on a good note for Ghanaians who were already unhappy with hikes in fuel and utility prices in December 2015, and January 2016..
1. TRANSPORT FARES UP BY 15%
The transport operators, following a near 30% increase in fuel prices, also increased fares by 15% on February 1, 2016.
Several assurances from the government and meetings between them and the transport operators aimed at ensuring a reduction of the fares yielded no positive results.
The issue dragged for some few days after which no one bothered about it any longer.
Some headlines:
- Stakeholders in the transport sector finally increased transport fares by 15%. The new fares took effect from Monday February 1, 2016.
- The Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Moses Asaga accused thetransport unions of acting in bad faith, by side-stepping their negotiation plan to announce new fares.
2. MENINGITIS
The cases of Pneumococcal Meningitis and its related ailments which was first recorded in the Brong Ahafo Region further spread to other parts of the country.
About nine regions recorded various cases of other strains of meningitis, with nearly 100 lives lost.
Government later released an amount of GHc200,000 to boost efforts to control the spread of the disease in the country.
Some headlines:
- Laboratory results on four out of five suspected cases of meningitis recorded at the Ridge hospital in Accra tested negative.
- In a bid to curb the outbreak of the deadly meningitis disease in the country, the health ministry released additional GHc200,000 to tackle the situation.
3. CPP ELECTION OF IVOR GREENSTREET AS FLAGBEARER
The National Delegates Congress in the Convention Peoples’ Party (CPP) also took centre stage in the country’s political arena.
The congress, which was held was held on January 30, 2016, saw former General Secretary of the party, Ivor Greenstreet, who is physically challenged, emerge winner after crushing Samia Nkrumah, Bright Akwetey and Joseph Agyapong.
Ivor Greenstreet had 1,288 votes representing 64.7% while Samia had 578 representing about 29%.
Although the election was held in January, subsequent issues dragged into February.
There were accusations from the camp of Samia, who claimed that Ivor Greenstreet bribed delegates to vote for him; a claim he debunked.
Samia Nkrumah subsequently announced her decision to contest the Jomoro Parliamentary seat, which she lost after a first term before contesting for the party’s chairmanship slot and now her failed presidential bid.
Some headlines:
- Samia Yaba Nkrumah, daughter of Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah accused Ivor Greenstreet of vote buying.
- CPP’s Presidential candidate, Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, commenced a nationwide “Thank you tour,” to show gratitude to the party’s delegates who elected him at the congress.
- Ivor Greenstreet told Citi News he will hold discussions with the party leadership on a possibility of wooing back the 2012 Flagbearer of the party, Dr. Abu Sakara.
- Defeated presidential aspirant, Bright Akwetey declared his support Mr. Greenstreet, going into the general elections in November this year.
- Ivor Greenstreet vowed to drag Samia Nkrumah and others before the party’s Disciplinary Committee to prove allegations of bribery against him.
4. ABUAKWA NORTH MP KILLED BY TEENAGER
Ghanaians woke up on February 9, 2016 to hear reports of the murder of Joseph Danquah-Adu, the Member of Parliament for the Abuakwa North constituency in the Eastern Region.
JB Danquah was allegedly killed by a 19-year-old at his residence at Shiashie in Accra where he lived with his family.
The teenager, Daniel Asiedu claimed he had gone to the house to steal but was caught by the MP red-handed, thus he stabbed the Abuakwa North legislator to death.
The suspect who has since been arrested is in the custody of the BNI pending further court appearances.
Some headlines:
- Scores of NPP stalwarts thronged the house of the MP for Abuakwa North, who was stabbed to death by unknown assailants.
- President Mahama said he was shocked by the death of his friend and Member of Parliament for Abuakwa North, Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu. President Mahama in a tweet said he “received news of my friend J.B. Danquah-Adu’s murder with shock. My heart goes out to his siblings, Frank etc, his wife & children.”
- The Accra Regional Police Command arrested a man suspected to have killed Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu.
- Former President John Agyekum Kufuor described the death of Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu as a loss to the party since he was a real political gem in the country’s politics.
- The MP for Abuakwa South, Samuel Atta Akyea, described the death of his colleague, Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu as a contract killing.
5. PASTOR CHRIS IN TOWN
The Closure of about seven roads in the capital city Accra ahead of a planned all-night service by popular Nigerian preacher, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of the Christ Embassy Church got Ghana talking.
That was the first time Pastor Chris was visiting Ghana.
Thousands of Christians from across the globe showed up at the Black Star square for the all-night service held on Friday February 5, 2016 which was dubbed “Night of Bliss.”
Whereas some were happy about Pastor Chris’ visit to Ghana, others took to social media to vent their spleen over what they claimed is the preferential treatment which was given the Nigerian pastor as against his counterparts in Ghana.
Some headlines:
- The Ghana Police Service temporarily closed down some major roads in the national capital, Accra, ahead of a major crusade by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome.
- Thousands of Christians were seated at the Black Star square hours ahead of renowned Nigerian pastor, Chris Oyakhilome’s crusade.
- Thousands of Christians thronged the Black Star square for Pastor Chris Oyakhilome’s “Night of Bliss” crusade.
6. AGOGO FULANI CRISIS
The Agogo township in the Asante Akyim North Municipality of the Ashanti Region later in the month, came under the spotlight after the Member of Parliament for the area, Kwadwo Baah Agyemang, held a press conference to express the displeasure of the townsfolk about the continuous stay of Fulani herdsmen in the area.
The residents accused the nomads of destroying their crops with their cattle and killing their relatives who protest over the issues.
Security personnel made up of military and the Police were deployed to the area in a bid to evacuate some of the Fulani herdsmen from Agogo.
Some headlines:
- The MP for the Asante Akyem North Constituency in the Ashanti Region, Kojo Baah Agyeman led a demonstration against the Agogo traditional authorities for what he calls, their failure to sack Fulani herdsmen in the area.
- The outgoing Ashanti Regional Minister, Peter Anarfi Mensah promised to expel Fulani herdsmen from Agogo.
- Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Hannah Bissiw proposed the establishment of a permanent cattle ranch as the solution to the impasse between Fulani herdsmen and locals in the area.
- Parliament waded into the recurring issue of disagreements between Fulani herdsmen and residents of Agogo by requesting for an audio tape on which the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Kofi Boakye, allegedly threatened to arrest the MP for the area, for inciting violent attacks against the Fulanis.
- A Security Analyst, Dr. Kwesi Aning described as xenophobic the massive public outcry against Fulanis in Agogo.
- A special joint taskforce of military and Police personnel was dispatched t0 Agogo, ostensibly to drive out a section of Fulanis from the area.
- The Agogo Youth Association (AYAS) banned all forms of political activities in the town following the disagreement between locals of the town and nomadic Fulani herdsmen.
- A group calling itself, the Agogo Youth Association (AYAS) petitioned the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to help find a lasting solution to the long-standing conflict between Fulani nomads and residents of Agogo.
7. TAFO CLASHES
Still in the Ashanti Region, the Tafo community in Kumasi took the media coverage away from Agogo.
The town was placed under curfew because of clashes between the Muslim community and the youth of the town over a piece of cemetery land.
The Muslims had accused the Traditional Council of taking over the cemetery land which belongs to them. They therefore erected a fence wall to secure the land in contention.
But the youth of the area did not take it lightly and allegedly pulled down the wall triggering the clashes. One Muslim died in the process, several others were injured while some churches and Mosques were attacked.
Several persons were arrested, with a dawn to dusk curfew placed on the community which was subsequently reviewed from 8am to 6pm.
Some headlines:
- The Ashanti Regional Security Council placed a curfew on the Tafo township following clashes between the Muslim Community and the traditional authorities. Scores of persons were wounded in the clashes.
- Academic work in some schools was affected at Tafo in the Ashanti Region, following violent clashes between indigenes and Muslim youth that left one dead and several injured.
- The Ashanti Regional Police Command later screened some 40 persons arrested in connection with the Tafo clashes.
- The MP for Asawase, Alhaji Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka also appealed to the Police to release the over-40 individuals arrested in connection with the recent riots at Tafo in the Ashanti Region.
- The Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC) subsequently reviewed the curfew it imposed on the troubled Tafo township. The security council reduced the curfew hours to span between 8pm-4am.
- The National Chief Imam, Sheik Usman Nuhu Sharubutu expressed worry about the developments in Tafo.
- The mandate of the committee set up by the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly to mediate the dispute between the traditional council and the Muslim community in Tafo was extended.
8. EC’S ELECTION STEERING COMMITTEE IN LIMBO
The Electoral Commission came under fire in the month of February 2016 for including supposed NDC activists in its National Election Steering Committee.
Pro-opposition groups including the Let My Vote Count Alliance (LMVCA) and the Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG) demanded the removal of the 3 supposed NDC members or the dissolution of the election committee.
The Electoral Commission after and IPAC meeting later assured to look into the concerns raised over the composition of the committee.
Some headlines:
- The Electoral Commission on February 8, 2016 inaugurated an 18-member election steering committee ahead of this year’s election scheduled for November.
- Days after the committee was formed, pro-opposition pressure group, Let My Vote Count Alliance, wants the 10-member Elections Steering Committee to be dissolved, because in their view, the composition is politically biased.
- The Executive Director of the National Service Secretariat, Dr. Michael Kpessa Whyte, defended the initial selection of Dr. Karl Marx Arhin as the representative of the NSS on the National Election Steering Committee, saying nothing bars him as a citizen from holding that position even though he is a card bearing member of the NDC.
- The Acting Director of Public Relations at the Electoral Commission, Christian Owusu Parry rubbished media reports that the Electoral Commission (EC) has suspended the Election Steering Committee.
- The General Secretary of the incumbent NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, said it was unfair to accuse the Electoral Commission of bias, following the setting up of the Election Steering Committee.
- The National Organiser of the NDC, Kofi Adams has said his party was not worried about the composition of of members of the adhoc committee formed by the Electoral Commission to supervise the November polls.
9. KINTAMPO ACCIDENT
A massive public outcry also greeted an accident that occurred near the Kintampo water falls involving a Metro Mass Transit bus and a truck fully loaded with tomatoes.
President John Dramani Mahama and Nana Akufo Addo, among others expressed condolences to the bereaved families and consoled those injured.
The death toll which was around 50 later rose to 61.
The accident ignited calls for safety on our roads.
Some headlines:
- Over 50 people died in an accident that occurred on the Tamale-Kintampo stretch of road in the Brong Ahafo Region on February 16, 2016.
- The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) constituted a team of professionals to investigate the fatal accident.
- President John Dramani Mahama who visited the injured person in the hospital announced a Ghc100,000 support for survivors of the accident.
- 48 victims of the Tamale-Kintampo road accident were later identified at the Kintampo mortuary.
- More lives could not be saved in the accident due to logistical challenges facing the Brong Ahafo Regional Ambulance Service.
- Initial investigations into the Wednesday night accident on the Kintampo-Tamale road killed 61 people revealed that the driver of the Metro Mass Transit (MMT) bus, caused the accident by overtaking wrongly in a sharp curve.
- The driver was also said to have overloaded.
- State transport operator, Metro Mass Transit (MMT), announced that it will foot the bills incurred by some passengers who survived the fatal accident.
10. THE ALMIGHTY STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS(ES):
President John Dramani Mahama was in Parliament on February 25 were he presented the State of the Nation Address.
He touched on all sectors of the economy and also brought to Parliament some beneficiaries of government projects and initiatives.
However, the NPP also held what it termed the “Real State of the Nation” address to counter what the president said.
The address done by the NPP flagbearer Nana Akufo-Addo sought to rubbish the achievements of the NDC.
Some headlines:
- President John Dramai Mahama said efforts made by his administration to fight against corruption clearly prove that the canker can be tackled.
- President Mahama touted his achievements in the power sector, saying about 80 percent of Ghanaians now have access to electricity.
- President John Dramani Mahama introduced what appears to be a novelty, by displaying for applause beneficiaries of his government’s various social intervention programmes, while delivering his State of the Nation address in Parliament.
- Flagbearer of the NPP, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has described President Mahama’s ‘evidence-based’ State of the Nation Address as an embarrassing exercise that shows mediocrity.
- Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, pooh-poohed President Mahama’s state of the nation address, saying he only told tales that did not reflect the real state of affairs.
–
By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana