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<\/p>\nPresident John Dramani Mahama while addressing the nation on the eve of New Year admonished Ghanaians to eschew cynicism and be hopeful for the coming year 2016.<\/p>\n
He further assured of his willingness to listen to the concerns of Ghanaians and tackle their challenges, saying \u201cI have listened, I am listening and I will continue to listen\u2026\u201d adding that any of his official who does not share in his vision should tender in their resignation letters.<\/p>\n
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However, little did Ghanaians know that the government will take certain decisions that will bring disquiet to citizens.<\/p>\n
1. Killer taxes<\/strong><\/p>\n Some of the decisions that did not go down well with Ghanaians in January 2016 include implementing new taxes approved by parliament in December 2016.<\/p>\n They include the introduction of the energy levies that saw an increment in prices of petroleum products, the rise in withholding tax as well as the implementation of a one percent tax on savings and interest.<\/p>\n Organised labour became furious over the hikes in petroleum products as well as the hikes in utility tariffs which was announced by the PURC in 2015 and demanded a drastic reduction.<\/p>\n They embarked on a nationwide demonstration to have their demands met including an increment in the salaries of public sector workers by 50%.<\/p>\n Government following several negotiations with Organised Labour subsequently reduced electricity prices for low power consumers<\/a><\/strong><\/span>.<\/p>\n More here:<\/strong><\/p>\n 2. Send Gitmo detainees away!<\/strong><\/p>\n Government\u2019s decision to also host two former inmates from Guantanamo Bay detainees in the country did not resonate well with Ghanaians as it created fear and panic among citizens who believed that the two despite receiving assurance from the US government that they pose low risk could return to unleashing terror on them.<\/p>\n Several groups, bodies and political parties, Members of Parliament put pressure on government to return the former inmates.<\/p>\n President Mahama while addressing the press called for compassion for the detainees, a statement which further muddied the waters.<\/p>\n The president also discounted claims that he had received monies from the US government before hosting the two Gitmo detainees in the country.<\/p>\n More here:<\/strong><\/p>\n 3. EC rejects new voters’ register proposal<\/strong><\/p>\n Following claims by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) that Ghana’s voters’ register is bloated with names of foreigners and minors, the Electoral Commission constituted a five-member committee to hear the arguments and make recommendations.<\/p>\n The Committee recommended that there was no\u00a0need for a new voters’ register because the arguments were “unconvincing.”<\/p>\n Whereas the NDC welcomed the decision, the opposition NPP said they were disappointed at the EC and accused it bias.<\/p>\n More here:<\/strong><\/p>\n 4. BNI arrests former NHIA boss\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n News of the arrest of the former NHIA boss,\u00a0Sylvester Mensah by the\u00a0Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) also surprised a lot of Ghanaians.<\/p>\n Sylvester Mensah was in the grips of the BNI over allegations of financial malfeasance at the Authority under his watch.<\/p>\n All his bank accounts were also frozen by the\u00a0Financial Intelligence Centre after an ex-parte application sought by the centre at the court,<\/p>\n More here:<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 5.\u00a0Brave Taxi driver<\/strong><\/p>\n A taxi driver took on a very dangerous responsibility to stop two robbers who had just shot a lady.<\/p>\n He rammed his vehicle into the two who were on a motor bike, and for his bravery, got a presidential treat by meeting the Vice President at the Flagstaff House, and was rewarded with a brand new house by President John Mahama.<\/p>\n Popular super market, Koala also bought him a brand new saloon car.<\/p>\n More here:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n 6.\u00a0Ministerial reshuffle<\/strong><\/p>\n 7. Pneumococcal meningitis\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n The outbreak of the deadly Pneumococcal meningitis has put fear in Ghanaians. The disease which was first reported in the Brong Ahafo Region, has been recorded in six other regions. It has so far claimed nearly 40\u00a0lives.<\/p>\n More here:<\/strong><\/p>\n 8. DKM and other dubious microfinance institutions<\/strong><\/p>\n 9. British murder suspect<\/strong><\/p>\n 10. CPP Congress<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 11. Smarttys bus re-branding<\/strong><\/p>\n 12. PNC’s Ayariga forms new party<\/strong><\/p>\n –<\/p>\n By: Godwin A. Allotey\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana<\/p>\n![\"buying](\"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/wpid-Buying-petrol-at-filling-station.jpg\")
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