The walk, which is being led by former president John Dramani Mahama, saw the party’s members move through principal streets within the main Techiman Township.

[contextly_sidebar id=”xei0krCilxP5EIaCuxFiocRLQBGosioi”]The Saturday morning exercise forms part of the NDC’s efforts towards fostering unity within the party, after its humiliating defeat in the December 2016 election.

The Sunyani walk comes after previous ones held in Cape Coast, Tarkwa, Tamale, and Accra.

They are expected to converge on the Zongo School Park for a rally which will be addressed by the former president.

NDC flagbearership

Former President John Mahama’s active participation in the recent unity walks as well as some of his recent public utterances, have led to suggestions that he plans to lead the party again into the 2020 presidential elections.

While some leaders of the party have kicked against the anticipated move, others have said he is the best bet for the party going into the next elections.

Meanwhile, others such as Dr. Ekow Spio Garbah, a former Trade and Industry Minister under the John Mahama government, have also indicated that they will contest the party’s flagbearership primaries to hopefully lead the party in 2020.

At a recent media interaction where Spio-Garbrah said he had gained enough experience to lead the country. He was endorsed by former National Security Coordinator Brig. Gen. Nunoo Mensah as the best bet for the country’s future.

Former Vice Chancellor of the University for Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), Prof. Joshua Alabi, has also declared his intentions to contest the party’s presidential primaries.

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By: Mashoud Kombat & Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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According to him, the addressing system is fraudulent, and that someone must be punished for misusing state funds to procure the system.

[contextly_sidebar id=”1lEUsuCqfD5DzmnHhuJsfkWHxtRusxwW”]“How can you launch a Google GPS system that is freely available on our mobile phone and say it is a national addressing system. It is such a pity. Why will you embarrass the president so much? You go and take a whole president to bring him to come and launch a system that is 419,” John Mahama said.

The former president made the statement in an address to thousands of party supporters in the Central Regional capital, Cape Coast, after the National Democratic Congress (NDC) held its third Unity Walk after the December polls.

The former president said he had restrained himself from commenting on governance issues after losing the presidential seat to the NPP’s Nana Akufo-Addo, because he believed that every new government needed time to settle in office, but “it looks like NPP is whittling away its honeymoon period with the mistakes that it is doing.”

He called on the president to “show that he is serious about corruption” by holding someone accountable for the launch of the $2.5 million digital addressing system which he [Mahama] believes is fraudulent.

“When we talk about accountability, this is where the president should show that he is serious about corruption. Somebody must account for 15 million giving away free of charge.  When I was in office, there was a bus branding incident, GH¢3.6m, a minister of state resigned because of GH¢3.6m,” John Mahama said.

He, however accused the President of not being able to “take firm action in anything”.

What is wrong with the digital addressing system?

The Digital Addressing System, christened,  Ghana Post GPS, which was launched on October 18, 2017, was part of the NPP’s ideas to formalizing the country’s economy by digitally mapping and proving a digital address to all locations and properties in the country.

The project was undertaken by Vokakom at a cost of $2.5million. 

Following its launch, many IT experts have cast doubt over the system, spelling out various flaws that make it a faulty tool to undertake the purpose for which it was built.

Among the flaws some have mentioned, is the over-reliance of the app on internet connectivity especially when internet penetration in the country is still low.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The walk, themed, “Mobilization of the Grassroots”, is the third to be undertaken by the party after previous ones in Tamale and Accra.

The walk is aimed at fostering unity within the party, and also seeks to “heal” it after its humiliating defeat in the December 2016 election.

The thousands of party supporters and leaders, marched through some principal streets in the Cape Coast municipality, singing, dancing and drumming.

Despite the peaceful procession, some supporters expressed their dissatisfaction over the display of Dr. Ekow Spio Gabrah’s banners for 2020, around the main converging point of the walk.

Although the Cape Coast South Communications Director of the NDC ordered the removal of the banners, other party supporters said the removal was unnecessary, as the reason for the action appeared rather mischievous.

Dr. Ekow Spio Garbah, a former Trades and Industry Minister under the John Mahama government, who is also participating in the walk, has given indications he will contest for the party’s flagbearership elections to hopefully lead the party in the country’s next polls in 2020.

He may contest former President John Mahama, who is rumored to be gearing up to contest for the party’s flagbearership again.

Former Vice Chancellor of the University for Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), Prof. Joshua Alabi who has also declared his intentions to contest the party’s presidential primaries also partook in the exercise.

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By: Jonas Nyabor & Joseph Ackon-Mensah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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According to him, Akufo-Addo has no excuse than to implement the juicy campaign promises that won him power at the last elections.

Buttressing his standpoint, he cited the then New Patriotic Party in opposition promise to drastically reduce fuel prices and electricity tariffs as some of the juicy promises.

Former President John Dramani Mahama was addressing a teeming crowd at the Kulikuli School Park to climax the party’s maiden unity health walk held in Tamale.

“No amount of propaganda can make the people oblivious of their own responsibilities because they are living with the prevailing circumstances.”

He called for a formidable opposition to represent the voiceless by constructively criticizing government to keep it on track.

He said the NDC cannot win the next general elections with a divided front for which reason party loyalists and leadership should bury their differences and unite for a common good.

He recalled the party’s humiliating defeat at the last elections saying, “It was good we lost the 2016 elections for Ghanaians to feel the deceptive nature of the governing NPP then in opposition.

Former President Mahama commended the NDC’s minority caucus in Parliament for keeping the Nana Addo administration on its toes.

He also thanked the event organizers for their forethought and promised to unveil himself for similar events if replicated nationwide.

Haruna Iddrisu mocks “Free SHS” policy

Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu mocked at the governing NPP’s much touted “Free SHS” policy and described it as political gimmick.

According to him, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s administration is in a haste to implement the policy without proper financing.

He served notice that the NDC minority caucus in Parliament will fiercely resist any attempts to implement the policy at all cost for political expediency.

He explained that the NDC as a social democratic party was not against the implementation of the Free SHS policy but insisted that the right structures must be put in place to ensure its sustainability.

Haruna Iddrisu thereby admonished President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to rethink about the Free SHS policy and promote national dialogue on the policy.

Asiedu Nketiah cautions NDC communicators

The NDC General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah cautioned the party’s communicators against politicizing his reported attack at gun point on the Kumasi-Accra highway.

He trusted that state institutions handling the case are capable of apprehending the culprits and called for maximum restraint commenting on the issue.

He nonetheless stated that the party will draw its conclusion on the issue should the state institutions fail in their investigations.

The Member of Parliament for Sagnarigu constituency, Alhaji A.B.A Fuseini and also the NDC minority caucus communications Director appealed told all party loyalists to genuinely forgive each other.

He said the NDC cannot afford to be in opposition beyond 2020 and that success of the unity health walk should not be jeopardized.

The event which lasted for several hours caused heavy vehicular and human traffic on the streets of Tamale but nothing untoward happened and there were no casualties.

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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Baffour Gyan, the elder brother of Asamoah Gyan, was arrested earlier in September for allegedly leading assault on Daniel Kenu, a journalist from the Daily Graphic.

Baffour is reported to have taken offence at a question asked by Kenu at the pre-match press conference before the game between Ghana and Uganda in Kumasi.

Mr. Kenu was allegedly assaulted by a group of well-built men, who have since been arrested, and sustained injuries for which he required head scans and medical treatment.

There have been several calls for the case against Baffour to be dropped.

[contextly_sidebar id=”JaboltVRMculXf8x0xHiC298iBJ0i1M6″] Mr. Ashigbey had already stated that they would pursue the case in court, but Baffour who was granted bail by a Kumasi circuit court is reported to be seeking an out-of-court settlement.

However the livid MD of Graphic Communications, reiterated at a forum of journalists in Accra on Monday that they intend to pursue the case until the end.

“We need to protect our own. And the way to do so is to ensure that if anything happens we will follow it to the logical conclusion.”

“And it does not matter whether it is your journalist or a journalist from another house.”

Ken Ashigbey revealed that some influential persons in society had called on him to withdraw the case but dismissed the calls, stating that “all those big men who are calling me should stop. We will go to court.”

Several influential bodies have condemned the attack on the journalist, including the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA).

By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post ‘We’ll go to court’ – Graphic MD fumes over Gyan assault case appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The older brother of Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan ,Baffour Gyan, and the player’s personal manager, Samuel Anim Addo, reportedly want to settle the case out of court after the two were granted bail by a Kumasi circuit court.

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Source: Graphic Online

The post Gyan wants out-of-court settlement after assault on journalist appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Baffour, also a former national team striker himself has been arrested following allegations he masterminded an attack on sports journalist, Daniel Kenu who was assaulted and chased out of the Baba Yara Sports Stadium during the training session of the Black Stars on Friday.

Reports indicate that the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, ACP Kofi Boakye led officials to arrest the senior Gyan at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Kumasi on Saturday morning and he has since been whisked to the Central Police Station where he will write a statement.

Kenu has been in the news for reportedly asking Asamoah Gyan about the whereabouts of missing hiplife star, Castro, a close friend and music partner of the Al Ain striker.

And Baffour, known to be very protective of Asamoah, apparently vented his spleen on Kenu, who works with Daily Graphic.

Top Ghanaian journalists, led by the umbrella body, GJA called for the former footballer’s arrest which the Police obliged on Saturday morning.

It remains unclear however if Gyan will be detained or released on bail before this afternoon’s game against Uganda.

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Source: Allsports.com.gh

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