[contextly_sidebar id=”Y3jbUwDhr1SooZMGdFcn64E3Av2QMnE0″]The low patronage has been attributed to the ongoing funeral of the late Asantehemaa which commenced today [Monday].

The development has left scores of passengers at the VVIP bus stations in Accra heading to Kumasi stranded.

Long winding queues of passengers were seen at the various VVIP stations at Circle at the time Citi Business News visited the bus terminals.

The queues were only present at the Accra-Kumasi route.

Passengers who spoke to Citi Business News said they had been waiting in the queue since morning.

“I can’t really explain it myself, the queue is quite long, It’s longer than usual and I think we can relate it to the funeral of the Asantehemaa. Majority of people want to go to Kumasi for the funeral so that is probably causing the unexpected number we are seeing here,” a stranded passenger said.

Meanwhile, a passenger who was waiting for a bus to attend the funeral in Kumasi also told Citi Business News that,“The shortage of the buses is as a result of the funeral. Everybody wants to go including those of us here. There are no buses available but I know that we will definitely go.”

Most bus drivers have been forced to ditch the route due to the low patronage of passengers from Kumasi to Accra.

“The problem is that, most of the cars are in Kumasi and according to them, there are no passengers in Kumasi so all the buses are locked up there because of the funeral and it seems like nobody is coming to Accra, so that’s why there are long queues here.” a manager at the VVIP station stated.

Another instructor said “People are just not coming. I don’t know if there’s a curfew, there but the people are just not coming so the buses are coming empty to pick the passengers from Accra.”

Meanwhile officials say the situation is expected to be return to normal in a few hours.

“There are five buses coming empty as we speak, they are on the way so passengers will soon be out of here”.

Business boom for others

It appears however that the fashion industry is recording some gains following the funeral rites of the late queen-mother.

Citi Business News checks reveal sale of black cloth in the Ashanti Region, specifically Kumasi, has picked up tremendously.

Some traders who spoke to Citi Business News say they intend to cash in heavily following the development.

“People are really purchasing the cloth. Six yards goes for GHc90, and one yard for GHc15, they are available in red and black, white and black, yellow and brown. People are purchasing all the colors; but the one in brown are limited as compared to the other colors.”

Another trader confirmed the boost, saying “For the clothes, we have them in red yellow and white; and sales are really good because everybody wants to purchase some. We will not run out of the cloth because we made them after the news of her death and everybody wants to buy it,” she added.

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By: Jessica Ayorkor Aryee/Anita Arthur/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana

The post Kumasi bound passengers stranded over Asantehemaa’s funeral appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Mr. John Mahama, who handed over power to the Nana Akufo-Addo government last Saturday, said the Transition Team as well as Parliament, had agreed that he maintains the building, contrary to recommendations made by a committee tasked to review emoluments of Article 71 office holders and his retirement package.

Per the recommendations, Parliament only approved for John Mahama money for his accommodation. Therefore request for the house, which was approved through the use of administrative processes, thus appears to be against the Presidential Transition Act Section 10, making his continuous occupation of the house a breach.

“The claims that Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia is stranded and has nowhere to stay, is mischievous and deliberately intended to embarrass President Mahama. The  Vice President is expected to take up residence in the House known as Australia House, which was previously occupied by former Vice President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur,” Mahama said in a statement.

According to him “an Official and Permanent residence for the Vice President is currently under construction, off the Switchback road. Dr. Bawumia will move into the new structure when completed.”

The former president still occupied his vice presidential residence despite being president during his tenure of office.

Meanwhile, the Prof. Dora Francisca Edu- Buandoh committee recommended that Mahama instead of going home with a fully furnished house in Accra and another location of his choice, Mahama should rather have “40 percent of [his] salary to be paid monthly.”

This was a deviation from the Chinery-Hesse Committee Report (2001-2005) which said, former Presidents should receive “one fully furnished residence in the national capital and one out-of-capital residence at a location of the former President’s choice; all of which should not revert to the state in the event of the demise of the former President.”

The Prof. Dora Francisca Edu- Buandoh committee’s report sighted by citifmonline.com also recommended that John Mahama should retire on a salary of GH¢22,809, up from the non-taxable salary of GH¢15,972 previously approved for presidents.

Below is the full statement from office of John Mahama:

Ignore claims about President Mahama’s residence

Contrary to the claims being made that HE John Dramani Mahama, former President of the Republic of Ghana, has refused to vacate his residence, we wish to state and confirm that per the information officially communicated to the newly inaugurated administration following discussions by the Joint Transition Team, President Mahama will continue to maintain his current place of residence as his retirement home.

The decision and agreement on the place of residence and office for the former President was formally communicated to the new administration by the former Chief of Staff Julius Debrah on December 19, 2016.

The Sixth Parliament of the 4th Republic before its dissolution, also resolved that residential and office accommodation should be provided to the outgoing President, HE John Dramani Mahama in line with convention and existing precedent.

The claims that Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia is stranded and has nowhere to stay, is mischievous and deliberately intended to embarrass President Mahama.

The Vice President is expected to take up residence in the House known as Australia House, which was previously occupied by former Vice President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur.

An Official and Permanent residence for the Vice President is currently under construction, off the Switchback road. Dr. Bawumia will move into the new structure when completed.

Office of HE John Dramani Mahama
Former President of the Republic of Ghana
Accra- Ghana.
January 09, 2017.

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

The post Bawumia not stranded – Mahama appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.