Speaking at the party’s news conference in Accra on Thursday, Mr. Nketia said: “We wish to state here and now that if President Akufo-Addo and his NPP administration proceed to ratify the agreement despite protests and public sentiments, the NDC administration which will assume the reins of government in 2021, will suspend the agreement and initiate a far reaching review.”

[contextly_sidebar id=”b1zrEcpVJQcEtSU7B7lGGy6VA0xhzk3u”]On Tuesday, the Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, sent a Memorandum of Understanding on the deal to Parliament for ratification.

The document, sighted by citifmonline.com, said Cabinet approved the MoU on March 8, 2018, and recommended to Parliament to ratify the agreement to allow the US forces and their equipment unhindered access into Ghana.

Per the agreement, the US military force is among other things, to be exempted from paying tax on the equipment to be brought into Ghana.

They will also be given the chance to set up their own telecommunication system, although they will be allowed to use Ghana’s radio spectrum free of charge.

Mr. Nketia however indicated that, Ghana does not need a “US military base on our soil to demonstrate our commitment to fight terrorism, since existing security cooperation between Ghana and the US are sufficient to encourage bilateral cooperation in the global effort to combat terrorism.”

‘Terror attacks’

He indicated that could become a target for extremists if the agreement is ratified by Parliament

“The recurring theme of the US fight against terrorism is that Islam or Islamic extremism is to blame. The establishment of a military base in Ghana to combat terrorism could therefore send wrong signals and make this country a target of extremists.”

“We have witnessed this happen within the West African sub-region. You heard about the bombing in Burkina Faso. You heard about the bombings elsewhere in the world. In Kenya where our beloved Prof. Awoonor died. It was an attack against Western interest. You heard about what is happening in Boko  Haram- It is an attack on western civilization,” he argued.

Mr. Nketia further defended previous agreements signed during their term in office, saying it did not put the lives of Ghanaians at risk.

“In 2015, in the height of Boko Haram insurgency, I think our sister country requested the support of Americans and the Americans wanted somewhere where they could store their consumables and other things and use here as a staging post to support Nigeria, so we went into agreement for that specific period.”

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post NDC will suspend ‘military base’ deal in 2021 – Asiedu Nketia appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, Asiedu Nketia, who said this at  the party’s news conference in Accra today [Thursday], indicated that the agreement if ratified by Parliament, will send wrong signals which could subsequently make Ghana vulnerable to attacks.

[contextly_sidebar id=”F4WwKdeAyCpsa1F4mt51K5Avh6o2NdDn”]“The recurring theme of the US fight against terrorism is that Islam or Islamic extremism is to blame. The establishment of a military base in Ghana to combat terrorism could therefore send wrong signals and make this country a target of extremists.”

“We have witnessed this happen within the West African sub-region. You heard about the bombing in Burkina Faso. You heard about the bombings elsewhere in the world. In Kenya where our beloved Prof. Awoonor died. It was an attack against Western interest. You heard about what is happening in Boko Haram- It is an attack on western civilization.”

Mr. Nketia believes that Ghana does not need a “US military base on our soil to demonstrate our commitment to fight terrorism since existing security cooperation between Ghana and the US are sufficient to encourage bilateral cooperation in the global effort to combat terrorism.”

‘We’ll review deal in 2021’

He indicated that, the deal, if ratified by Parliament, will be suspended and reviewed by the NDC if it returns to office in 2021.

“We wish to state here and now that if President Akufo-Addo and his NPP administration proceed to ratify the agreement despite protests and public sentiments, the NDC administration which will assume the reins of government in 2021, will suspend the agreement and initiate a far reaching review.”

Mr. Nketia further defended previous agreements signed during their term in office, saying it did not put the lives of Ghanaians at risk.

“In 2015, in the height of Boko Haram insurgency, I think our sister country requested the support of Americans and the Americans wanted somewhere where they could store their consumables and other things and use here as a staging post to support Nigeria, so we went into agreement for that specific period.”

‘Details of agreement’

Among other things, the US military will be exempted from paying taxes on equipment they will bring to Ghana.

They will also be allowed to set up a telecommunication system on Ghana’s radio spectrum for free.

Although many Ghanaians have expressed resentment over the clauses of the agreement, the Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, said the agreement is in the best interest of Ghana.

He said that the US personnel will only be given a few buildings to operate in, contrary to media reports that a portion of land was going to be allocated to them for the establishment of a base.

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By: Marian Ansah/citfmonline.com/Ghana
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The post Hosting US soldiers will trigger terror attacks – NDC appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to him, without the bill, the Special Prosecutor will find it difficult retrieving information especially from government offices.

“The most important bill, even more important than the Special Prosecutor office is the freedom to information Act. If someone comes with a complaint on a bloated price of a project, it will be difficult to crosscheck because if you request for it from government offices, they will tell you they can’t because of official secrecy. If you don’t bring the freedom of information Act, and ask the special prosecutor to do its job, you are going to complicate things for him,” he said.

[contextly_sidebar id=”AQmUy58sgshIRPr8sAll5oTVDitQbmme”]President Akufo-Addo on Tuesday, January 2, 2017, appended his signature to the bill setting up the Special Prosecutor office after it was approved by Parliament in November 2017.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor marks the fulfillment of a major campaign promise of Nana Akufo-Addo in the run-up to the 2016 elections aimed at fighting corruption.

But members of the opposition NDC have complained that the office cannot be independent since the Special Prosecutor will certainly be appointed by the President.

Speaking on Ekosii sen, a late afternoon political talk show on Accra based radio station, Asempa FM, Asiedu Nketia charged government to ensure that the Special Prosecutor is made as independent as possible.

“The Attorney General is an NPP member that is why she cannot prosecute her own party members. And if it were NDC in power, the Attorney General will have similar constraint. That is why the NPP government found it necessary to create that office. So the person to occupy that position should be very independent in a way that she or he can even arrest their own party members. It is a very difficult thing to do but it has to be done,” he added.

“If they appoint another NPP lawyer to that high office, then its work will be a work in futility. The greater problem at hand is to appoint a person who can prosecute both NDC and NPP corrupt officials,” Asiedu Nketia noted.

About RTI bill

The RTI bill has been in legislation for well over a decade since successive governments have failed to implement it despite several assurances.

Although the New Patriotic Party government has promised to pass it into law, it is unclear how soon that would be.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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The post Special Prosecutor will struggle without RTI bill – Asiedu Nketia appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

That is the position of the party’s General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, who said its only meant for internal consumption.

“We’ve taken a position that Kwesi Botchwey’s report is meant for internal consumption, so it has not been published anywhere,” he said in an interview with Citi News‘ Umaru Sanda Amadu on Wednesday.

[contextly_sidebar id=”jjuayYnMPgygVyyB0G5AOvS5GFj4VW2K”]He made the remark on the back of some documents which some media houses have claimed to be a leaked report with findings from the Kwesi Botchwey committee.

The leadership of the NDC has been tight-lipped about the findings of the report, which was submitted in June 2017, after months of touring and holding consultative meetings with interest groups and individuals across the country.

However, some media outlets including the Daily Guide newspaper and Accra-based Joy FM in series of news stories, have made public what they claim to be some findings of the committee.

The publications, among others, have pointed to Stan Dogbe and Elvis Afyiie Ankrah as John Mahama’s undoing.

It also indicated that, the report had cited some officials at the Flagstaff House during Mahama’s tenure of shortchanging journalists by cutting down budgeted stipends for the presidential press corps and pocketing the rest.

But Asiedu Nketa in the interview rubbished the leaked report.

“…Any commentary that is being run or any alleged capturing of Botchwey’s report and serialization cannot represent any genuine document coming from NDC.”

When probed further on why the party has decided not to publish the report, Mr. Asiedu Nketia said “Nobody publishes a management advise in the media, it doesn’t happen anywhere. Those demanding for it are poor managers.”

“If you go and fabricate things and put them there hoping that the fabrication will force people to publish what the truth is, then you will be deceiving yourself. There is a party official position about how the report should be handled,” he stressed.

He also accused the NPP of using the report to divert attention from important national issues.

“I have also observed that it looks like the NPP government wants to use some fake Botchwey report to divert the attention of Ghanaians from the hardships that they are going through. So it’s like they are always using something purporting to be coming from the Botchwey’s report to divert attention of any major issue that seems to be indicting the government,” he added.

Mahama laughs off supposed Kwesi Botchwey report

Former President John Mahama, who was amused by the recent publications purporting to be from the committee’s report, also took to social media platform Twitter, to make a mockery of it.

“It appears ‘KB report has been adopted by some media as the new handbook for any challenge facing Gh…. In the event of crisis, open any page and quote. Lol,” he tweeted.

–

By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post We won’t publish Kwesi Botchwey’s report – Asiedu Nketia appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Some media houses have in the past few days published varied stories about the NDC, based on the supposed Kwesi Botchwey committee report.

[contextly_sidebar id=”LQYjuhaiD7BdFZDzHUCBzReyceDhGLit”]But speaking in an interview with Citi News’ Umaru Sanda Amadu, Asiedu Nketia said the documents are fake, because the party has not published the committee’s report.

“We’ve taken a position that Kwesi Botchwey’s report is meant for internal consumption so it has not been published anywhere. So any commentary that is being run or any alleged capturing of Botchwey’s report and serialization cannot represent any genuine document coming from NDC.”

The NDC General Secretary further accused the NPP of using the supposed documents to divert attention from major issues in the country.

“I have also observed that, it looks like the NPP government wants to use some fake Kwesi Botchwey report to divert the attention of Ghanaians from the hardships that they are going through. So it’s like they are always using something purporting to be coming from the Botchwey’s report to divert attention of any major issue that seems to be indicting the government,” he added.

Mahama laughs off supposed Kwesi Botchwey report

Former President John Mahama, who was amused by the recent publications, also took to social media platform Twitter, to make a mockery of it.

“It appears ‘KB report has been adopted by some media as the new handbook for any challenge facing Gh…. In the event of crisis, open any page and quote. Lol,” he tweeted.

NDC quiet on Kwesi Botchwey 

The leadership of the NDC has been tight-lipped over findings of the report which was submitted in June 2017, after months of touring and holding consultative meetings with interest groups and individuals across the country.

However, some media outlets including the Daily Guide newspaper and Accra-based Joy FM in series of news stories, have made public what they claim to be some findings of the committee.

The publications, among others, have pointed to Stan Dogbe and Elvis Afyiie Ankrah as John Mahama’s undoing.

It also indicated that, the report had cited some officials at the Flagstaff House during Mahama’s tenure of shortchanging journalists by cutting down budgeted stipends for the presidential press corps and pocketing the rest.

–

By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post ‘Leaked’ Kwesi Botchwey report fake – Asiedu Nketia appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

“If they [NPP] have problem with logic, let them come and register with NDC party school, we will train them on logical thinking and logical reasoning,” he said.

[contextly_sidebar id=”zQnK58IKPVs8ljXVzp09VV6BhbGuX5Ri”]Asiedu Nketia made the call on Saturday when he addressed supporters of the NDC at Tamale in the Northern Region during the party’s unity walk session.

Mr. Nketia premised his call on a recent governance comment made by former President John Agyekum Kufuor.

Mr. Kufuor at the recently held NPP conference in August chided critics who were demanding more from the New Patriotic Party government saying “President Akufo-Addo’s government is not cassava to mature in six months.”

But in his response, Asiedu Nketia said “he [John Kufuor] should go and ask his own Vice President who decided to proclaim the result of their government in less than 100 days.”

“[By claiming] 110 achievements in less than 100 days, you are proclaiming your successes and when we are pointing out your failure to you, you are now telling us that governance is not like planting cassava,” the NDC general secretary stated.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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The post ‘Come and learn logical reasoning at NDC school’ – Asiedu Nketia to NPP appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

In Mr. Asiedu Nketia’s words: “today, every Ghanaian is denying voting for the NPP because they are overwhelmed with the bad governance.”

He was speaking during a rally marking the party’s 25th anniversary at the Ashaiman Mandela Park, as the NDC looked to assure supporters that events were already in motion, that would see it retain power in 2020.

The parable of the 3 envelopes

He had a parable for the Akufo-Addo administration as he sought to assure the party faithful that the New Patriotic Party was en route to election defeat in 2020.

“An incompetent president was once given three envelopes to read by a wise man when things became difficult for him. In the first year when things were hard, the envelope had the inscription blame the past government. In the second year when things were even more difficult, the letter in the envelope instructed him to blame the international community.”

The NDC General Secretary concluded his story by saying, “by the third year getting to the fourth, when things were completely out control, the incompetent President opened the envelope only to read prepare your handover notes.”

According to Asiedu Nketia, NDC sympathizers need not worry because President Akufo-Addo is currently “at the stage of blaming the past government.”

“Even projects that have been commissioned are being re-commissioned. Now, they are even blaming the past government for ordering new cars. So don’t be surprised. From now to December, everything will be blamed on the previous government.”

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post NPP already heading for defeat in 2020 – Asiedu Nketia appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Everyone from the General Secretary, Johnson Nketia to the NDC’s Chairman, Kofi Poturphy, must be kicked out at the party’s next congress in favour of what Mr. Smith called new “die-hard selfless people.”

Speaking on the Point Blank segment of Eyewitness News, Mr. Smith emphatically that, “we should change the whole guard. We should start with some die-hard selfless people… I think he [Asiedu Nketia] has been there long enough. We should just clean the stables.”

This is in spite of the fact that he sees nothing wrong with maintaining former President John Mahama, who led the NDC to its monumental defeat from a position of incumbency.

He maintained that “if we [the NDC] want to be the ones in the driving seat in 2020, our best bet is the one we put out there already. He [Mahama] did so well but there were some hiccups and that probably led to us losing the elections.”

Mr. Smith however suggested that, President Mahama may have lost his way when he said the party’s executives “should have helped him [Mahama] more than they did. They had the power as a political party to reign in on the President. I think the party was weak in dealing with him.”

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Asiedu Nketia, others must be kicked out – Victor Smith appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to him, the NDC government’s act was legal in the face of the law.

[contextly_sidebar id=”6WEZQOE8yUSSMDWtQTSTqinTLFKWb9Wb”]“Which part of the Montie 3 case has not happened according to the rule of law? Is it covered by our constitution that people should be prosecuted when they verbally assault members of the judiciary? And the answer is yes. Were they prosecuted, the answer again is yes and convicted. Is it lawful for the president to exercise the perogative of pardon in our constitution? And that answer is also yes. So everything that happened, in that case, proceeded according to the rule of law,” Asiedu Nketia said.

“If you believe in a cause and you argue for your cause to be pursued in a democracy, that is different from mobilizing arms and training people to go and assault security agencies,” he added.

Some members of a vigilante group affiliated to the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Delta Force, stormed the Kumasi Circuit Court on Thursday and freed the members of their group who were facing charges for causing disturbances at the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council.

The group vandalized some court property, and almost assaulted the Judge, Mary Senkyire.

The judge had ruled that they be remanded to reappear before the court on the 20th of April, 2017 after charges of conspiracy to assault a public officer and causing unlawful damage.

The incident has incensed many Ghanaians who have accused the government of doing nothing to stop the members of the group from carrying out such attacks.

The opposition National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) attempt to also criticize the NPP for the development has not gone down well with the NPP government who have said that the NDC has no moral right to criticize NPP over the Delta Force’s action after it also free three convicts who were serving jail term for threatening the lives of some Judges.

But the General Secretary of the NDC believes the two incidences had entirely different elements, suggesting that the NDC’s action was lawful.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, he further accused the New Patriotic Party of doing nothing to address the violent attacks being carried out by groups affiliated with the party, indicating that the party had consistently demonstrated its disregard for the nation’s security especially in the run-up to the election.

He cited the NPP’s invitation of ex-South African security officers to train some of its members in security operations as a demonstration of the party’s intention of creating a parallel security force in the country in spite of the fact that it was against the constitution.

–

By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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The post Montie 3 case cannot be compared to Delta Force attack – Asiedu Nketia appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Freddie Blay argued in a media interview that the recent seizures of state officers by supporters were meant to protect the state institutions and prevent looting of state resources.

But in an interview with Citi News, Policy Advisor of the PPP Kofi Asamoah Siaw condemned the acting Chairman’s comment.

“It’s an unfortunate statement from him; it has no locus as far as the administration of the country is concerned. Ghana is not administered by party foot soldiers or members of a political party that has won an election. President Akufo-Addo is president of the Republic of Ghana not president of NPP. So members who are part of his party cannot arrogate to themselves the right or the duty and responsibility to want to attempt to protect state resources, we shouldn’t encourage that,” he argued.

[contextly_sidebar id=”Mcbxn8xnbYmdcOhUVfu9f7p8gBxwOc6X”]Mr. Blay in the interview complained that “in some cases, particularly places like the harbour, DVLA, Peduase Lodge, polling stations [sic] and so forth, in some cases the people had to go there to protect state property to ensure that looting stops.”

He added “I’ve been told that in some public offices and so forth, all of a sudden those who were working there have refused to come to work, not because they are being intimidated or being chased out, but they themselves have suspected that because of how they came there, or purely based on they being members of the party then in power, some people will chase them out and they’ve left those public places to the wind, to the weather and people have gone there to protect it. It’s not a question of condemnation, I’ve told you that in some instances I won’t condemn if they were there to protect property.”

Hold Nana Addo responsible for NDC’s retaliation – NDC

Meanwhile, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has asked Ghanaians to hold President Nana Akufo-Addo responsible for any mayhem which may arise as a result of the attacks on their members.

According to the party, the current President has failed to stop members of the NPP from attacking NDC members and state properties.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra, the General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, said the President was sitting by as alleged members of the NPP instigated disturbances.

“When you are the Commander in Chief and you allow gangsters to be humiliating state security officers, where are we going to?” Mr. Asiedu Nketia questioned. “… I am not surprised at all because throughout the campaign I kept warning that we all know the best gauge of anybody’s conduct in future is his conduct in the past and we know the conduct of the various presidential candidates, including Nana Addo, and his record of encouraging conduct.”

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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post PPP criticizes NPP chairman for defending attacks appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.