The Political Science Department’s rating comes few days after the Industrial Commercial Workers Union (ICU), rated government 80% for its performance so far.

[contextly_sidebar id=”tA4Lv5drtVjXWSKlbPCnliT4HM5hyvFL”]In the Political Science Department’s research, which focused on democratic governance, 49% of the 5000 voters sampled, endorsed the Free Senior High School [SHS] programme, making it one of popular initiatives of the government.

It also revealed that, 64% of respondents backed the creation of the Special Prosecutor’s Office, while 37% approved of the campaign against illegal mining. According to the survey, 58% of voters believe that former President Mahama will lead the opposition National Democratic Congress in the 2020 elections.

Mr. Nukpenu however believes it is too early to assess the performance of a government that has been in power for just a year.

“It is early days for people to be rating the NPP so that they will think they are on a sound footing,” Mr. Nukpenu suggested.

‘We’ve lived up to expectation’

While Mr. Nukpenu believes it will be difficult to assess the NPP government’s performance now, the Deputy General Secretary of the NPP, Obiri Boahen, insists that the survey was a true reflection of government’s performance so far.

According to him, although the Nana Addo administration has committed some errors in its first year , it has generally lived up to expectation.

“The NPP has lived up to expectation, and I have also been saying that, the fact that we have erred in one way or the other, cannot also be ruled out, but generally we have performed creditably well. We have done well and we are praying that we will continue to improve upon what we delivered to them .”

11 controversies that rocked NPP gov’t in 2017

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) government officially marked the first year of its administration on 7th January, 2017, after wresting power from the then NDC government led by John Dramani Mahama.

The party claimed electoral victory on the back of many campaign promises aimed at boosting social infrastructure and providing a convenient economic environment for private businesses to thrive.

Despite the 62% acceptance rating, the government has had its share of controversies, with several of them being alleged corruption scandals.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah

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According to him, monies parents were being forced to pay more to secure accommodation for their wards because of  the flawed placement processes.

Mr Yammin also questioned Government’s preparedness for a roll-out since the entire process has been fraught with challenges for parents and their wards who are beneficiaries of the program.

The former Deputy National Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) spoke exclusively to Citi News after he addressed supporters of the opposition NDC in the Asawase Constituency at an annual get together.

“Parents are faced with going to look for accommodation for their wards. Their school fees are being paid, but they are paying more than the school fees to get their wards accommodation simply because, today, Government now determines whether you will be a day student or a boarder hitherto during our time prior to the Free SHS policy, it is the guardian as well as the child who determined to either be day or boarding students”.

He claimed that some schools in the Ashanti region were turning away students within the region due to lack of boarding facilities but were rather admitting those from outside the region to occupy the limited facilities.

Mr, Yammin warned of the dangers of students staying in their own accommodation, indicating that school authorities will not be able to supervise such students effectively.

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By: Hafiz Tijani/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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According to him, the performance of the party will determine whether New Patriotic Party (NPP) will remain a relevant political force in the country.

He issued a stern warning to members of the party who sabotage his government’s efforts.

“The future of the party is about the success of our government. And the success of the government is about our conduct. Each one of us beginning with me, through the Vice President, Chief of Staff, Ministers of State and the Deputies…. Our conduct is what will determine the success of our government,” he said.

“If we conduct ourselves well and respect the wishes and aspirations of the Ghanaian people that brought us here today and comport ourselves with dignity and humility as people who have come to provide service to our nation, that is the foundation that will allow us to build victory upon victory,” he added.

The President made the statement during the NPP’s 25th annual delegates conference held at Cape Coast in the Central Region on Saturday.

Akufo-Addo said he would not relent in his effort to ensure that the government is not plunged into a pool of corruption scandals.

He said he will not shield any of his appointees from facing the rigors of the law if they are found culpable in any act of corruption, adding that anyone who alleges corruption against any official in his government must be ready to provide proof to ensure proper investigation and prosecution.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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“We practice democracy even in the PNC; and people are entitled to their opinions about this issue. But I know quite clearly that if I had declined those submissions, those who said I should have declined would say that I only want to be president.  I am quite clear in my conscience that he has appointed me ambassador of Ghana not of the PNC or the NPP.”

[contextly_sidebar id=”kuKVlIAmDo7sOmBTN9u1VRY5EySpsS6o”]“I am taking this position because the president thinks that there are specific things he wants me to do…whenever he asks me to do I will do it to the glory of God and the president. Anybody who said I shouldn’t do anything for Ghana because my party is not in power I don’t agree with them,” he added in a Citi News interview on Tuesday.

Dr. Mahama had been criticized by some members of the PNC including his own Chairman, Bernard Mornah, who insisted that he [Mahama] should have declined the position offered him by President Nana Akufo-Addo as a matter of principle.

The five-time flagbearer of the PNC was sworn in on Monday by the President together with 21 others who have been assigned to other countries.

Bernard Mornah argued Dr. Mahama turned down similar aappointments in the past, and also suspended Mallam Issah and Ambrose Dery as well as others who took up appointments in past NDC and NPP governments.

But Dr. Mahama discounted the claims describing them as “outright lies.”

“He [Bernard Mornah] is speaking out of ignorance, malice or outright lies. In fact, I proposed Ambrose Dery to go into the NPP government. Moses Daniba served under the NPP government; I never chaired a meeting to expel any of them so what he is saying are outright lies.”

“What I did not do in 2000 was that I would not serve as a vice president unless it was a party to party agreement. A vice president is serving under a particular manifesto that the candidate puts up in the year he is elected. Ambassador is ambassador for Ghana, there is a difference.”

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

The post I’m going to serve Ghana not NPP – Edward Mahama appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to him, the situation will leave worsen Ghana’s debt status which could seriously affect the country’s economic growth and development.

[contextly_sidebar id=”ia8Likw2U3tkL5HRm7wMSQCe98qnpQSC”]The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has announced that the government of China has agreed to commit 15 billion dollars worth of investment in Ghana.

Dr. Bawumia pointed out that, Ghana was able to secure the commitment due to a new financing model designed by the Economic Management Team.

But Speaking on Eyewitness News on Tuesday, the NDC MP chastised the Vice President, Dr. Bawumia for spearheading the agreement to contract the loan from the Asian country, despite he being a heavy critic of the erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC) government’s decision to contract a similar loan.

“We are dealing with a country where borrowing $1bn of Eurobond was described by Bawumia himself as very reckless borrowing and he put in perspective the GDP ratio when we were borrowing just $1bn. In the 2017 budget by this government, the debt to GDP of 72% was vilified as the worst this country could ever have, now to add $19bn of an additional loan in such a short period will push our debt to GDP to the region of 120% and 130% of GDP. That is the worst that you can find in the world,” he said.

“For a person like Bawumia to now be saying that we should be clapping for him for ditching us into 130% debt to GDP is frightening, scary and reckless,” he noted.

But the Deputy Finance Minister, Kwaku Kwarteng, discounted the claims saying that the government believes that conditions for the loan were appropriate.

He said although the modalities for the disbursement of the funds were yet to be drawn, the government is working to ensure that the interest of Ghanaians remain paramount.

Kwaku Kwarteng further discounted claims that the NPP government will exceed its debt to GDP target.

He said the government will be responsible for ensuring the country’s debt sustainability is within acceptable limits.

“It is not as though we said one thing to parliament and we are doing something different. Let not anyone suggest we said we will not borrow. I think the minority’s concern is a legitimate concern,” he said.

He, however said it was premature for the minority to raise concerns about the facility since the modalities and other details for the release of the funds are yet to be drawn.

China’s Eximbank in 2012, agreed a $3bn facility to the previous Mills and Mahama governments, but only $1bn was released after years of back and forth between the two countries.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post NDC MP blasts Bawumia over $15bn ‘reckless’ Chinese loan appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

It says the petition among other actions is only a diversionary tactic meant to sway Ghanaians from seeing the positive work the government is doing.

[contextly_sidebar id=”9KD7kvAfFC13C8AUO3iQb8VuVLPPuMRq”]A deputy Minister for information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said the government remains focused on fulfilling its promises to Ghanaians and will not debate the Minority in parliament or the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) on the issue,

The government in April this year raised $2.25 billion from four bonds including a 7 and 15-year bond, at a rate of 19.75%.

The bond which was open to resident and non-resident investors raised disquiet among members of the opposition NDC.

The Minority raised issues of possible conflict of interest following the purchase of 95% of the bonds by Mr. Trefgarne who is a Director of Franklin Templeton and a Board Chairman of Enterprise Group.

The government had defended the bonds issue explaining that it did not flout any regulation.

But the minority appears to have taken a keen interest in the matter and is using any means available to it to get challenge the issuance of the bond.

The Ashanti Regional Youth Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Yaw Brogya Genfi, also recently petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) over the matter, calling for investigations into it.

But speaking on Eyewitness News, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said, “a lot of answers have been provided. We have come to believe that they will consistently keep bringing up this issue even when you provide them answers… They consistently issue statements about it because they know that when they do, [you] the media will stop following any good news and you’ll be chasing that particular story. We don’t have any problem with them, they can attend to any particular establishment as they ask for any information and those establishments shall provide them with that information that they want.”

“In the meantime, while they do that, we will remain focused on the governance agenda”

Lawyer demands authentic details of $2.25bn bond

Meanwhile, a private legal practitioner, Victor Kojogah Adawudu has written to the Attorney General requesting for more information on the controversial $2.25 billion domestic bond which was issued in April 2017.

According to the lawyer, Victor Kojogah Adawudu, he exercised his right to information due to the scanty details provided by the Ministry of Finance on the issue.

In a letter addressed to the Attorney General and copied to the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Adawudu, who also enclosed a processing fee of GHc 1,000, said the information he is seeking is aimed at addressing several concerns voiced on the matter.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Gov’t unfazed by Minority’s petition over $2.2 bn bond appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

It’s such a shame that “communication” in Ghana’s political governance has been so reduced to shouting matches among party apparatchiks that the strategic use of communication for nation-building has not been appropriately prioritized and fully utilized. It’s a shame too, therefore, that my biggest disappointment with the NPP government so far has been in communication, you know, that ministry with three deputies. Here are three issues that could have been managed better.

First, the king’s speech. It’s done, we’ve moved on, but lessons remain for how to prevent such a mess in the future and how to clean up such mess as messes are bound to happen.

While the original sin may have shown bad faith, the government’s response showed bad judgment. The initial response was slow and one got the feeling that the people managing the president’s communication were either too busy celebrating or too inexperienced to see the gravity of what had just happened, and, therefore, was to come. Instead of an expertly-worded proper press release to insulate the president and change the subject knowing very well that more than one part of the speech would soon be revealed to be obroni wawu (Hello, internet), we got a drip-drip of an apology.

From the outside looking in with my limited information, I would have advised the presidency to immediately own the “error by an overenthusiastic staffer” and announce that the person had been suspended, never to contribute to the president’s speech again. Media relations folks would call that staying ahead of the story. Rather, the official attitude appeared to be that it would blow away like most domestic political scandals, forgetting, surprisingly, that this was prime time and the whole world was watching. And this story proved it had legs (any communication professional could have warned them!) and so it walked and walked all the way to America’s late night comedy shows. God forbid the president make an official trip to the U.S. and a late-night comedian begin his skit with, “Remember this guy?” God forbid!

Second, managing expectations. Under-promise and over-deliver. Remember that one? The NPP seems to have forgotten; thus, it missed several opportunities to pivot from campaigning to governing. Like all political parties, this party came into power with many promises on its shoulders. That’s how the game is played, right? But once in power, you govern based on reality. (Ask Donald Trump) And when you find a previously undisclosed GHS7 billion hole in the coffers, you take—I know this is a terrible choice of word under the circumstances— advantage to adapt your promises to reality. That’s just how the game is played.

From the State of the Union speech to the budget statement to the radio and TV appearances, the main message should have been about what a mess the country is in (and that’s no lie): the dirt, the debt, the theft, the galamsey, the broken schools…this is where the party “communicators” come in handy. And so you reset the psychological baseline and give an outline of a plan for getting us out of the mess, complete with a timeline.

When you do that, people will sympathize with you and give you time. People are smart and Ghanaians like to think of themselves as forgiving people. Instead, even after inauguration the government kept on promising things and talking about how quickly it will fix things. Free SHS and things. When you do that, you own the problems too quickly. And that’s where the NPP finds itself.

Take dumsor. When it started again in February, the minister was all over the news talking about how it will be fixed by this date (and missing this date) and then that date (and missing that date)….so Mahama’s dumsor quickly became Nana’s dumsor. If I were the minister, I would rather have been all over the place talking about how bad things were and how long it would take to fix them and ask people to bear with me and make sacrifices and demonstrate the sacrifices that the government too was making by asking every ministry to turn off appliances at certain times, etc.

Finally, consider the public trials of Otiko Djaba. After barely taking her seat, the Minister for Gender was under fire. First, for staying silent on the abuse of the lady suspected of theft in Kejetia. I was told her justification was that she can’t comment on every single case. True. But consider that since the Kejetia beating, there have been a publicized gang-rape of a 14-year-old and many others, I trust, that have gone unreported. Who knows how many rapes could have been prevented if the minister had used the moment of the Kejetia beating to forcefully signal how swiftly and drastically her ministry would deal with violence against woman?

In summary, part of leadership is about sending signals about what is acceptable and what is not. The president may be putting the right pieces together for the big task before us, you know, 110 ministers, retreats, reviews and processes and legislations, meeting with chiefs, clergy, and all that, but we don’t have the luxury of time for all those moves to eventually work their way through the system for the person in charge of the traffic light at Tettegu junction to go and fix it. How many lives will have been lost by then? The president can take a short cut by sending signals at the top for the people down there to do what they are already equipped to do but don’t do because no one pushes them. People must feel that there’s a new boss in the building. And everyone must shake in their boots when they hear, “Nana is coming.” Right now, they’re not.

To understand why Ghanaians don’t understand why Otiko Djaaaba did not come out about the Kejetia mob for days, Nana Addo must understand what Ghanaians did on Dec. 7, 2016. We didn’t vote to change government; we voted to change Ghana. We must feel it. We must see Customs officials being taken to trial (better yet, jail) for taking bribes at the port. We don’t want to hear that it takes time (that’s Mahama talk.) We need to see things happening.

From diplomacy to photography, various elements of communication should be thought through and carefully planned to send the right messages and fit a narrative. (For instance, don’t blurt out a plan for free SHS until you’ve thought through the details of your plan.) We’ve all oohed and aaaahed over Peter de Souza’s photos of Obama. What we haven’t seen are all the crappy ones or how he picked his moments and chose his shots to project a certain image of the man, a predetermined image, such that him lying on the carpet holding a baby is seen as cool. It requires not just artistic skills but also an understanding of statecraft at the highest level. Here at home, our task is to use those techniques to establish rule of law, solidify our democracy and boost our social and economic development.

Mahama was good at the slick things, the speeches, the photos, the videos, the graphics, but he lacked authenticity and deeper thinking beyond PR. And he fatally went overboard especially during the campaign. As an old man put it in Fante, “Efi dzi ina oyeh nkwon.” (It was disgusting.)

Moving on.

To their credit, the president’s men and women seem to have listened and made changes to correct the amateurish photography of the early days. (Geez, that was bad!) I hope it’s a sign of a listening government, one that will continue to listen and improve as the honourable minister for information and his three deputy honourables settle in.

Justin

#friendlyfire

PS: This piece was written before the Franklin Templeton bond kerfuffle. Though the deal doesn’t seem to be the scandal that the NDC is trying to make it out to be, the finance ministry should have taken a smell test and taken proactive steps to deodorize it beforehand—much better than reactive press releases.

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He said the initiative was to create a “brand portfolio…and harmonise the entire government look.”

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According to him, he will score the government 20 percent for delivery out of a 100 percent score.

[contextly_sidebar id=”sb7ZZcJINrMcqqsok533hcYN0r8P5uXv”]Speaking on the Point Blank segment on Eyewitness News on Monday [April 10], the legislator said the first three months of the New Patriotic Party government has been characterized by chaos and confusion.

“I wouldn’t say he’s done any well. Its been 90 days of chaos, hopelessness, dismay and spreading fear and panic,” Mr. Quarshigah said.

He accused the President of failing to openly condemn activities of some vigilante groups believed to be affiliated to the NPP.

He noted that, although Nana Akufo-Addo promised to govern with the rule of law, he has not been firm to condemn the illegal attacks and forceful takeover of some public institutions by the NPP-affiliated vigilante group, Invincible Forces.

Some members of the vigilante group, Delta Force, stormed the premises of the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council last month, and manhandled the President’s appointee for the Regional Security Coordinator position in a bloody attack.

An attempt to make some of the culprits involved face the law, took an interesting turn last week, when other members of the group stormed the Kumasi Circuit Court, and freed the 13 of their members who were facing charges for causing the earlier disturbances.

The group vandalized some court property, and almost assaulted the Judge, Mary Senkyere, after she had ruled that, the accused be remanded to reappear before the court on the 20th of April, 2017.

The matter has generated a lot of controversy with some Ghanaians accusing the President of failure to act decisively to address the matter.

Mr. Quarshigah said, “We have deep security matters in this country as at now. Where even the minister of national security is being threatened by some members of the ruling government which does not hold well for the country.”

According to him, the NPP while in opposition sought to create a parallel security system using the Invincible Forces and Delta Forces, who he claims have now turned up against them [NPP] and have become a threat to the entire country.

He said the government had superintended too many lapses that have left the country in a rather poor state, contrary to expectations of the NPP government.

In a related development, the President has said that troubles in the Ashanti Region, mainly including attacks carried out by the the NPP-affiliated Delta Force, is being brought under control.

According to him, his government is committed to delivering on its mandate in accordance with the Rule of Law.

“We are not wavering in that commitment. We believe that the overwhelming majority of the Ghanaian people support us in that commitment… collectively, we are determined to deliver. We want the Ghanaian people to know that all those things that we said we are going to do, which we have begun to do, we are determined to do,” he said.

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

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He said the Nana Addo-led NPP government will devise ingenious ways to fix the challenges with the economy, and fulfill its campaign promises to Ghanaians.

President Akufo-Addo during his State of the Nation Address on Tuesday, February 21, 2017, painted a very gloomy of the country’s economy left behind by the John Mahama-led government.

Among other things, Nana Akufo-Addo said the NDC government had ballooned the country’s debt stock to GHs122 billion, from the GHs9.5 billion it inherited from the John Agyekum-Kufuor government in 2009.

He also revealed that, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, left office with the country’s GDP growth rate at 3.6%, the lowest the country has recorded in the past 23 years.

He however said his government will introduce key interventions in the various sectors of the economy to improve the situation.

But the minority in Parliament, questioned how the NPP government under the leadership of Nana Akufo-Addo will honour some of its campaign promises including the restoration of teacher and nursing trainees’ allowance, when he [Akufo-Addo] had said the previous government left a weak economy.

They suggested that the president’s insistence that he would fulfill all his campaign promises indicated that the NDC rather left a strong economy.

“If you read the full State of the Nation Address, you will come to the conclusion that this economy cannot be a weak economy. This is the same economy that President Akufo Addo is saying that he is able to provide allowances to teacher trainees and nursing trainees. He is able to begin his free SHS programme and we should look forward to the Minister of Finance presenting his budget which will give us details on how he is going to do that. He is also upbeat about implementing a lot of his promises. The one village, one dam policy etc,” the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said at the press conference.

But the Information Minister, Mustapha Hamid, in an interview on Eyewitness News, said the government will ensure that it blocks the financial leakages the erstwhile government permitted to generate money to finance its promised projects.

“Go to the Tema Habour and the ports alone, and see how much money we can make from the habours alone; if we were really diligent in collecting all the taxes that are supposed to come to government. Sometimes we grant tax waivers of millions of Ghana cedis to private citizens who do not deserve tax waivers and so on.  There was a lot of wastage in the system.”

“That is what we have promised. We will be diligent, we will not grant unnecessary tax waivers to people, and we will not allow people to subvert procedures in order to undercut government in terms of how much they must pay to the state for running of the country,” he said.

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

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