Among other things, leaving Mr. Rawlings off the campaign team was an “expensive experiment and it cost us,” he stated on Eyewitness News.

[contextly_sidebar id=”mVodKaGcJJn6pFpUMtuMdIlwoxHw2YvS”]It was for reasons like this that Mr. Teye Nyaunu said “we all saw defeat coming” during the elections that saw the NDC Flagbearer and sitting President, John Mahama, suffer the worst election defeat in Ghana’s democratic history.

Singling out the Greater Accra Region, he said defeat was inevitable and the NDC made a last ditch attempt to salvage the region with the 74 million euro Kwame Nkrumah Interchange, which was inaugurated in November 2016, three weeks to the December 2016 polls.

“All of us knew that we had lost Greater Accra. We saw it in advance and we were trying to use the overhead at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle to galvanize the people.”

He also cited a failure of leadership as contributing to the defeat saying, “… I saw the defeat coming when I saw we had lost the leadership. When I saw that everybody was doing what they liked, what even Stan Dogbe and the rest were doing at the Flagstaff House.”

We can’t blame Rawlings for defeat

Mr. Teye Nyaunu comments followed an article authored by former Deputy Chief of Staff, Dr. Valarie Sawyerr who slammed Jerry Rawlings’ criticisms of the NDC, even opposition, as needy and controlling.

She also held that Rawlings contributed to the NDC’s election defeat with his criticism of the party.

But Mr. Teye Nyaunu said it would be illogical to blame someone not deemed important to even help the campaign.

“If he is nobody like we all claimed from the beginning, that we can win minus him, why then turn around and begin to blame him? We said he is nobody and so we rejected him during the campaign and he was sitting in his office and in his house and we went to the polls and we were humiliated.”

–

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

The post NDC tried to salvage votes with ‘Dubai’ interchange – Teye Nyaunu appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to him, the development affects the integrity of the Commission and as such urgent steps must be taken to resolve the brouhaha.

[contextly_sidebar id=”0WANJBP3Sg3PD0nabpBGhQwOcfdvxbT2″]The EC has been caught in a web of complex controversy that started after some faceless staff of the Commission petitioned the president, Nana Akufo-Addo to impeach the Commissioner, Charlotte Osei, for awarding a GH¢3.9 million to a private company without duly consulting other members of the commission, among other allegations.

Charlotte Osei in a comprehensive response to the allegations said they were unsubstantiated. She accused the Deputy Commissioner in-charge of Operations at the EC, Amadu Sulley of illegal acts including diverting funds meant for the Commission and illegally transferring votes.

She accused Amadu Sulley of persistently effecting illegal vote transfers from his office on the voter management system. An action that is in clear breach of the law and operational policies of the Commission.

Many have expressed worry over the developments from the confusion but Martin Agyei Mensah Korsah has said a thorough investigation must be conducted into the affairs of the Commission.

He confirmed that ahead of the December 7 elections, there was an illegal transfer of votes but he could not state who exactly is behind it.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, he said, “It confirms some of the issues that we put out. We were not just conjuring things from the sky. There were obvious things that were happening that we thought was not right. We were supposed to be stakeholders but things were being done and we were not informed.”

“I’m not allowed to say who is responsible but those things happened. There were instances where we had to move to the district offices and the National Headquarters to stop people. We were not informed, yet transfers were happening,” he said.

He expressed doubt that the Commission would be deemed credible enough to steer the country’s next elections if nothing is done to address the issue.

“It is frightening. If we are not careful I’m wondering if we’ll be left with any Commission to deal with… Investigations that have begun must be done quickly to deal with these matters…If we cannot trust our election managers with money, then what else is left? It is very worrying,” he said.

–

By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Votes were transferred illegally in 2016 – NPP Director confirms appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The committee had been touring the country and meeting with various individuals and groups to gather information for the past four months, on what accounted for its loss in the polls.

[contextly_sidebar id=”OmqcfNlzfaHXwcc9A4TzITegww1QuIvW”]Citi News has gathered that, the final report, which will be presented to the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting tomorrow [Tuesday], suggested among other things a new direction for the NDC on the election of executives and a flagbearer.

The 13-member committee was constituted by the NDC’s National Executive Committee (NEC), and approved by its Council of Elders on December 29, 2016.

Members of the committee are;
1. Kwesi Botchwey
2. Edward Doe Adjaho (Former Speaker of Parliament)
3. Alhaji Hudu Yahaya
4. Naval Capt. Asase Gyimah
5. William Ahadzi (director of research at the NDC headquarters)
6. Ibrahim Zuberu, (Lecturer at Accra Technical University and member of NDC)
7. Razak Abu (Researcher at NDC’s Development Challenge)
8. Juliana Azumah Mensah (Former MP for Agotime-Ziope)
9. Barbarah Serwah Asamoah
10. Four (4) members from NDC parliamentary caucus (including Minority Leader)

According to the General Secretary of the party, Asiedu Nketia, who announced the setup of the committee, the committee was to “review and validate the results of the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections and find out the causes of the poor performance of the NDC in both the presidential and the parliamentary election, as well as to deal with other matter reasonably related to the above objectives and to make recommendations to the National Executive Committee about the way forward.”

The committee’s work faced a number of challenges including some youth preventing one of its meetings in the Eastern Region from being held.

The 90-day deadline given to the committee was extended by at least a month to enable it complete its work.

–

By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Kwesi Botchwey committee presents report on Tuesday appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to him, the concerns of the members must be accepted in good fate to help the party strategize for the next elections.

The National Organizer on the NDC, Kofi Adams, earlier last week called on party members not to express publicly comment on what may have led to the party’s defeat, but resort to the special fact-finding committee by Prof. Kwesi Botchwey, set up to establish the cause of the defeat.

But speaking on The Big Issue, Mr. Kukubor said, it was understandable that some members are resorting to the media to vent and  blame some individuals within the party and that they must be allowed to do so to enable the fact-finding-committee get useful information.

“I will humbly plead that the executives rather listen more than talk because people are not happy on the ground, people are frustrated because we’ve gone into opposition.. about 3 months. Emotionally some are yet to settle and accept the fact that we are in opposition. This is the time that I will plead with the national executives that they should listen more and talk less,” he said.

He applauded the national executives for the decision to allow a committee investigate its loss.

“I believe the best option we have put in place is that the committee trek the country and gather the information scientifically because we might all know the reason why the party lost, but the only way we can come up with proper planning and action plan to win in 2020 is when we gather that information in a scientific manner,” he said.

In spite of the existence of the committee some members of the party been pointing accusing fingers at others members as being responsible for the party’s loss.

The NDC Member of Parliament for Yunyoo in the Northern Region, Joseph Bipoba Naabu, recently blamed former President John Mahama for their electoral defeat.

According to him, the former President surrounded himself with inexperienced people who misled him.

–

By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @jnyabor

The post NDC executives urged to listen more to members appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The under-staffed office works without a car and resorts to the use of illegal commercial motorbikes popularly known as ‘okada’ to undertake its activities.

This situation has persisted for many years in spite of an amendment of the Transition Act in Parliament in October this year.

[contextly_sidebar id=”vcdubeQSh1ltX2NytTlo4nCso3BjaXZX”]Among the tasks of the office, is to take stock of all government resources including cars, bungalows, furnishing, and lands. But according to David Yaro, the Administrator General, the office is greatly handicapped.

“Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to do our work. The volume of work is such that, it should have been commiserated by the resources, unfortunately, we don’t have the resources. A big office like that, we don’t have a single vehicle to make movement. If I am to go and check the authenticity of anything, I am crippled… I don’t have a vehicle; and in my office most of the time, we have to do dispatches with ‘Okada’ and taxis from our own pockets,” he explained.

The office lacks the required human resource

Mr. Yaro lamented that, the office is also understaffed. He said they were in dire need of persons with IT skills to handle some operations in the office.

“I have one director of administration and two junior officers. So with this magnitude of work, I need to have very easy and experienced officers to be able to help me keep the database. I need an ICT specialist and information officer and a Public Relations Officer who can project the office. I need a Human Resource Manager and all these things as it stands now, I don’t have that at all,” he said.

He said his office was yet to hear favourably from the Ministry of Finance after an appeal.

He said the office required an integrated technology system to enable it keep track of all government purchases, such that records of state assets are up to date to facilitate smooth handing over to new governments.

“Right now, I only rely on the integrity of the ministers and Chief Directors in updating the records.

He therefore appealed to civil society and donor organizations to support the office to work effectively.

Section 9.1 of the Presidential Transition Act requires the Administrator General to prepare a natural register covering all national lands and any other land vested in the president by the Constitution.

Transition process will face several challenges – Gyampoh warns

The concerns expressed by the office follows a revelation by a governance fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Professor Ransford Gyampoh, that the transition process was going to face several challenges.

 ‘Mahama inaugurates transitional team’

President John Mahama on Sunday inaugurated the government transition team comprising some members of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The 16-member team is expected to account for government resources, agree on the deadlines for the vacation of official residences by government officers and payment of benefits.

The team is jointly chaired by President John Mahama and President-elect, Nana Akufo-Addo.

–

By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @jnyabor

The post Transition office has no car, forced to use Okada appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The party is alleging some irregularities in the counting and collation of results in the Ellembelle, Aowin, Suaman, Amenfi Cental, and Juaboso constituencies.

All the constituencies in question have largely been strongholds of the NDC except for Ellembele.

The NPP won eight (8) more seats at the end of the 2016 polls, to take their total to sixteen (16), leaving the NDC with ten (10), which includes the five in contention.

The Western Regional NPP Secretary, Charles Bissue, in an interview with Citi News, said “We are going to court. Tomorrow [Tuesday], the legal team will meet. We’ve called for all the pink sheets in Takoradi so we are going to look at them; but those 5 seats are Ellembele, Aowin, Suaman, Amenfi Central and Juaboso. On the 7^th of December when the elections were going on, we had our own plans as to the collation of our results which was piloted in Amenfi West, where we got out results by 6.30 pm; 5 hours before the EC got their results; so by 7:00pm we knew which constituencies we had won.”

He said the EC’s confirmation of compromise of its electronic results transmission process called for appropriate measures to be taken to determine the accuracy of the final results declared.

“The EC were inputting the same figures into its system, but at some point the results started changing. Thankfully, Charlotte Osei [EC Chairperson] said their system had been compromised; and I think she actually agreed with us so we are going to court, we open the ballot boxes and go for manual count,” he added.

 NPP’s claims false – NDC

Meanwhile, the Western Regional secretary of the National Democratic Congress NDC), Joe Nelson, has called on the public to ignore the claims of the NPP saying they have no basis for their demands.

According to him, the NDC won genuinely in the recently held polls in the constituencies in question.

He noted that, in some constituencies that include Amenfi Central, which is being contended by the NPP, the NDC won after an open recount requested by the NDC.

–

By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @jnyabor

The post NPP heads to court for recount of 5 constituency results appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The team was inaugurated at a short ceremony held at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC), today, Sunday.

This follows the Electoral Commission’s declaration of the New Patriotic Party’s Nana Akufo-Addo as president-elect after a keenly contested general election on Wednesday, December 7.

Akufo-Addo beat incumbent, President John Mahama 53% of the total valid votes cast while John Mahama polled 44%.

President Mahama on Saturday announced the 16-member team comprising seven members of the National Democratic Congress government and nine from the NPP.

A statement signed by the Minister of Communications, Dr Edward Omane Boamah said the team would also include the Head of the Civil Service, Head of the Local Government Service, Secretary to the Cabinet and the National Security Coordinator in accordance with the provisions of the Presidential Transition Act 2012 (Act 845).

The team is expected to commence with expediency ahead of the of the official swearing-in of the President-elect, Nana Akufo Addo as President of the Republic on January 7, 2017.

Among the things the team is to consider are accounting for government resources, agreement on the deadline for the vacation of official residences by government officers and payment of benefits.

Members of the team area:

1. Julius Debrah- Chief of Staff
2. Marietta Brew Appiah Opong- Attorney General & Minister for Justice
3. Seth E. Terkper- Minister for Finance
4. Prosper Bani- Minister for the Interior
5. Dr. Benjamin Kunbour- Minister for Defence
6. Hanna S. Tetteh- Minister for Foreign Affairs & Regional Integration
7. Alhaji Collins Dauda- Minister for Local Government & Rural Development

Representing the President-elect, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo are:

1. Yaw Osafo Maafo- Representative of the President-elect
2. Frema Osei Opare- Head of the Staff of Office of the President-elect
3. Gloria Akuffo- Member responsible for Legal Affairs
4. Ken Ofori- Atta- Member responsible for Finance
5. Ambrose Dery- Member responsible for the Interior
6. Dominic Nitiwul- Member responsible for Defence
7. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey- Member responsible for Foreign Affairs
8. Hajia Alima Mahama- Member responsible for Local Government
9. Albert Kan Dapaah- Member responsible for National Security

In accordance with the provisions of the Presidential Transition Act 2012 (Act 845), the following are statutory members of the Transition Team:

1. Head of the Civil Service
2. Head of the Local Government Service
3. Secretary to the Cabinet
4. National Security Coordinator

 ‘Mahama assures of smooth transition of government’

President John Mahama had earlier assured of ensuring the peaceful transfer of power to the President-elect Nana Akufo-Addo.

In his concession speech after the declaration of Akufo-Addo as President-elect, he said, “I will like to assure the people of Ghana of my commitment to the sustenance of our country’s democracy and we will work to ensure a smooth transition of our incoming administration. I remain committed to the unity and stability of our great nation.”

‘Parliament passes Presidential transition bill’

Ghana’s parliament in 2012 passed the Presidential transition bill. In October 2016, it accepted amendments which among other things, stipulates that the outgoing President and his Vice vacate official bungalows one month before swearing-in of the new President on January 7.

The Bill, also grants the Office Administrator General, legal powers to forcefully evict an outgoing President and his or her Vice when they exceed the grace period.

–

By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @jnyabor

The post Mahama officially inaugurates Transition team appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

CODEO, in a bid to ensure a transparent and credible elections, said it will have observers in every constituency in the country to ensure regular situational and data update.

The Co-chair of CODEO, Prof. Miranda Greenstreet made the announcement whilst addressing the media at a pre-election press conference in Accra.

“The CODEO project will deploy close to 8,000 observers including 1,500 parallel vote tabulation observers throughout the country on Election Day. Out of the total number of observers, CODEO will deploy 7,000 rapid response observers who are representative sample of polling stations throughout the country.”

She said its observers will also be at the various coalition centres to tabulate and transmit the election results to complement the efforts of officials of the Electoral Commission.

Prof. Greenstreet added that all observers had been made to sign a pledge to be neutral and objective in the delivery of their duties.

She said she was hopeful all observers will effectively carry out their duties.

She also indicated that the deployment of the officials was done with key considerations in areas considered hotspots on Ghana’s political landscape.

Ghana is holding its parliamentary and presidential elections on Wednesday, December 7.

The process will be monitored by various local and international observers from the European Union, African Union and the Commonwealth of Nations.

–

By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post CODEO to deploy 8,000 election observers appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

He said, Ghanaians must avoid all activities that may spark violence within the electioneering period.

“As we approach election 2016, I want to appeal to every citizen of Ghana to approach this election as peaceful as we can. We are only seeking to elect leaders for our country. Election is not war but it is a time to find leaders for our people. We should go to the polls and make it as peaceful as we can,” he said.

Speaking an exclusive video published ahead of Wednesday’s polls, Rev Adu-Gyamfi, who is also the Executive President of the Ghana Baptist Convention, insisted that the electoral process is “not war”but only a process to democratically elect a President to lead the country hence must be undertaken in a peaceful manner.

‘Christian Council warns candidates over tribal politics’

Ahead of the elections the Christian council cautioned the two leading political parties, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) against engaging in tribal politics.

The Council said campaign on tribal lines posed a great threat to the future of the country and was also unhealthy for the country’s growing democracy.

‘Christian council concerned over election prophesies’

The Council had earlier expressed concern over the growing phenomenon of Christian leaders predicting election results.

According to the council, such incident erodes the confidence Ghanaians have in Christian leaders.

The General Secretary of the Council, Reverend Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, said such prophesies may not be coming from God.

In an interview on the subject in November, he called for religious tolerance and the need to respect one’s religion to avoid tendencies that would mar the beauty of the country’s democracy.

–

By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @jnyabor

The post Let’s make 2016 polls peaceful – Christian Council appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

This follows the confiscation of purported thump-printed ballot papers which have since been confirmed as fake by the Electoral Commission (EC).

[contextly_sidebar id=”K0sV4AjCrniO7uRqGELvtT1bfL6Rs9yG”]The NDC believes the NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has been misleading the police and called for him to be invited for questioning by police.

Earlier on Monday, reports emerged that Police in Kumasi had taken possession of three bags stuffed with materials reported to be thumb-printed presidential ballot papers found at the Madison Hotel at TUC in the Ashanti Regional capital.

Some of the retrieved ballot papers had thumb prints for the NDC Flagbearer, President John Mahama with the rest unmarked.

The NDC in a statement signed by Raymond Tandoh, its Ashanti Regional Secretary, recounted that at 6:00am on Monday morning, Chairman Wontumi called the media to join him and some Police officers for a raid at the Madison Lodge.

Upon arrival at the Lodge, they directed all occupants to come out of their rooms for a search, which they complied.  They were led subsequently by Wontumi into a particular room where some bags containing thumb printed ballots were kept.

“Shockingly, per the Lodge’s records, the occupant checked out without any viable personal records to help investigations,” the NDC noted in the statement.

According to the party, this leaves Wontumi as the only credible primary source of information and thus, he must be invited to help further investigations.

The NDC also questioned  why did the hotel, as conventionally practised, chose not to record personal details of the guest and thus called for the arrest of the owner of the hotel.

But, the party maintained that the whole situation was “a deliberate creation of the NPP to divert attention from the President’s commissioning of the first phase of the Kumasi Kejetia Market and sod cutting for phase 2 expansion of the Kumasi International Airport slated for today, December 5, 2016.”

Find below the full statement

NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS, ASHANTI REGIONAL CHAPTER

PRESS RELEASE

DECEMBER 5, 2016

THE PARTY’S POSITION ON CLAIMS OF DISCOVERY OF THUMB PRINTED BALLOT PAPERS AT THE MADISON LODGE, TUC, KUMASI

It has come to our attention this morning about an alleged discovery of thumb printed ballot sheets in a room at the Madison Lodge, TUC, Kumasi.

It is worthy to state the following facts;

1. For the past three days, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Wontumi has misled the media and police in a wild goose chase of large cache of ammunitions and thumb printed ballot papers across the region, from an initial false claim of an impounded ammunition by the military in Kumasi, to the search of house numbered AS2015S at Asouyeboa for weapons and ended with another in Tanoso yesterday.
2. At 6:00am this morning, Wontumi called the media to join him and some Police officers for a raid at the Madison Lodge, TUC, Kumasi.
3. Upon arrival at the Lodge, they directed all occupants to come out of their rooms for a search, which they complied.
4. They were led subsequently by Wontumi into a particular room where some bags containing thumb printed ballots were kept.
5. Shockingly, per the Lodge’s records, the occupant checked out without any viable personal records to help investigations.
6. This leaves Wontumi as the only credible primary source of information.
7. The receptionist currently is with the Police for further questioning but with an initial denial of any knowledge of the said ballots and the identity of the guest.

With the above, we have come to the following conclusions;

1. Wontumi as the primary source of information must be invited to help further investigations.
2. Why did the hotel, as conventionally practiced chose not to record personal details of the guest.

We therefore call on the Police to immediately arrest the owner of the Lodge to aid investigations. But we have strong convictions that this is just a deliberate creation of the NPP to divert attention from the President’s commissioning of the first phase of the Kumasi Kejetia Market and sod cutting for phase 2 expansion of the Kumasi International Airport slated for today, December 5, 2016.

We urge all our members to remain calm even as we work with the Police to unravel this evil mystery.

……Signed……

Raymond Tandoh

Ashanti Regional Secretary

–

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

The post NPP misleading media to divert attention from new Kejetia market – NDC appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.