News Guide Africa

Tag: NPP

  • “Looters Calling for Relief”: Franklin Cudjoe fires back at critics over COCOBOD and ECG crisis

     

     

    By Adnan Adams Mohammed

    Franklin Cudjoe, the President of policy think tank IMANI Africa, has launched a blistering critique of Ghana’s political communication landscape, accusing members of the former administration of “wickedness” and “greed” while demanding accountability for the nation’s economic woes.

    ​In a strongly worded statement released this week, Cudjoe argued that the current debate over the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) and the energy sector is being hijacked by “noisy and uncouth” political actors who he claims dissipated the very funds they are now asking the government to use for relief.

    ​The Cocoa-ECG Irony

    ​Cudjoe’s intervention highlights a stark financial comparison recently raised by social commentator Neenyi Ayirebi-Acquah. According to Cudjoe, the cumulative losses of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) between 2021 and 2024 stand at a staggering GH¢27.6 billion.

    ​Ironically, this figure nearly mirrors the GH¢30 billion in working capital that the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration is seeking to raise to stabilize COCOBOD.

    ​”It’s hard not to see the irony,” Cudjoe remarked. “And yet, the noisy communicators of that perilous and wicked era are jumping from one media house to another asking for reliefs to farmers from funds they dissipated with the force of greed!”

    ​A Call to End “Slow Motion” Justice

    ​Beyond the energy and cocoa sectors, the IMANI leader expressed deep frustration with the pace of the judicial system in handling allegations of corruption against former officials. He noted that while elements of the previous regime have dared the ruling government to “take them to court or shut up,” the state appears to be moving in “slow motion.”

    ​”I agree with them,” Cudjoe said, referring to the dare from former officials. “There is so much slow motion and the courts are playing along!! Too many crooks are walking about freely.”

    ​Cudjoe warned that the Ghanaian brand was “destroyed” by a period of looting where officials “ate our food and forgot our names.” He urged the current government to move decisively to prosecute those responsible for the country’s financial depletion.

    ​Don’t Cede the Space

    ​The policy analyst concluded by reminding Ghanaians that politics is too important to be left to politicians alone. He urged taxpayers to reclaim the public discourse from what he described as “educated illiterate” communication teams who dominate the airwaves.

    ​”We pay taxes and employ them. Why should we allow some… noisy communication team members to seize the space and misbehave? Please do not cede your space to them!” he charged.

    ​The comments come at a time of heightened tension as the government rolls out a rescue plan for COCOBOD, which includes salary cuts for executives and the transfer of billions in road-related debt to the Ministry of Finance to save the cocoa regulator from collapse.

     

  • Kenkey sellers who refuse to reduce prices are ‘NPP agents imposing hardship’ – NDC communicator alleges

    Kenkey sellers who refuse to reduce prices are ‘NPP agents imposing hardship’ – NDC communicator alleges

    A member of the Akatsi South’s communications team of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Hon. Japhet Festus Gbede, has accused some kenkey sellers of deliberately refusing to reduce prices despite a significant drop in the cost of maize, describing their actions as a calculated attempt to continue imposing hardship on Ghanaians.

     

    According to him, the price of a bowl of maize has dropped sharply from GH¢32 to about GH¢10 following recent interventions by the John Dramani Mahama-led government, yet prices of kenkey in many markets remain unchanged.

     

    Speaking on Kaleawo FM’s newspaper review segment, hosted by Mr. Livingston Wormadey, the outspoken Assembly Member commended the Mahama administration for what he described as bold and effective measures aimed at stabilising the economy and easing the cost of living.

     

    “The Mahama government has done its part by ensuring that the prices of key food commodities, including maize, have dropped drastically. Yet some kenkey sellers are refusing to reduce their prices. This is deliberate,” he stated.

     

    Hon. Gbede alleged that many of these traders are sympathisers of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) who, according to him, are determined to create artificial hardship and public dissatisfaction even after losing power.

     

    “Some of these people are NPP elements who want Ghanaians to continue suffering so they can blame the NDC government. Even in opposition, they want to punish the people,” he alleged.

     

    The young NDC communicator stressed that while the party respects free enterprise, it is unacceptable for traders to exploit consumers under the guise of market forces when the cost of raw materials has significantly reduced.

     

    He therefore called on government to set up a task force involving local authorities, consumer protection agencies and security services to monitor prices of basic food items and ensure that reductions in production costs are fairly reflected at the market level.

     

    “Government must act. A task force should be introduced to monitor pricing, especially for staple foods, to protect ordinary Ghanaians from exploitation,” he urged.

     

    Hon. Gbede reaffirmed the NDC’s commitment to protecting the welfare of citizens and called on traders to act patriotically by aligning their prices with current economic realities, rather than engaging in what he described as “politically motivated economic sabotage.”

  • 2026 Budget exposes the NPP’s eight years as a period of manufacturing excuses and exporting blame — Sinare slams

    2026 Budget exposes the NPP’s eight years as a period of manufacturing excuses and exporting blame — Sinare slams

    H.E Alhaji Said Sinare, Ghana’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and former National Vice Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), has described the 2026 National Budget as a “national resurrection” while delivering a scathing critique of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).

     

    In a fiery statement, the NDC Zongo President said the NPP’s reaction to the Budget revealed “intellectual poverty” and political confusion. “Their commentary was so shallow that even the Budget book itself would have wept if it had ears,” he said.

    According to him, the 2026 Budget, presented by the Minister of Finance, is a complete departure from the “chronic confusion and economic acrobatics” that defined the NPP’s eight years in power.

     

    Alhaji Sinare described the Budget as more than a financial plan, it is an “economic renaissance” and a “masterclass in governance.” He noted that while the previous administration treated Ghana as a “theatre of fiscal experiments,” the NDC government, led by a visionary President, has arrived with clarity, precision, and intellectual rigor.

     

    “The NPP spent years manufacturing excuses and exporting blame. Under their watch, Ghana became a spectator in global development, a nation begging for survival while drowning in reckless mismanagement. But today, the NDC has brought order to the chaos and planted a Budget that speaks productivity, innovation, social protection, and national dignity,” Alhaji Sinare said.

     

    He further stated that the 2026 Budget exposes the opposition completely. “The NPP is behaving like a political apprenticeship group shocked by the sudden return of competence. They are dancing around the Budget like confused masquerades, trying to manufacture criticisms that cannot stand under the sunlight of facts,” he said.

     

    Alhaji Sinare praised the Minister of Finance for delivering “with intellectual thunder” and the President for providing “leadership with administrative fire.” According to him, the NDC government’s Budget is a stabilizer for the nation, setting Ghana on a path of production, industrial rebirth, and social protection something the NPP never understood, let alone practiced, he added.

     

    Concluding his statement, Alhaji Sinare urged all Ghanaians to recognize the transformative nature of the Budget. “The NDC is not here to play. We are here to repair, rebuild, and reposition Ghana. And no amount of NPP lamentations can stop the rising tide,” he said.

  • NPP lacks moral authority to criticize NDC on galamsey – Owusu Bempah

    NPP lacks moral authority to criticize NDC on galamsey – Owusu Bempah

    Ernest Owusu Bempah, Deputy National Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has asserted that the NPP lacks the moral authority to condemn the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over the galamsey menace.

    Bempah argues that the NPP’s past failures to address the issue, coupled with alleged involvement of some party members in illegal mining activities, render any criticism of the NDC unjustifiable.

    According to Bempah, the NPP’s leadership must first demonstrate accountability and transparency in tackling galamsey before passing judgment on others.

    He advocates for strong, fearless leadership that can confront the problem head-on without favoritism.

    Notably, Bempah suggests Kennedy Agyapong, an NPP flagbearer hopeful, as a potential solution to the galamsey crisis.

    Bempah’s comments underscore the urgent need for collective responsibility and accountability in addressing the devastating impact of galamsey on Ghana’s environment and economy.

    His remarks serve as a call to action for all government players to work towards finding effective solutions to the crisis.

    *Phalonzy🖊️*
    0272626466

  • Ablekuma North Rerun: Accra High Court Throws Out NPP Candidate’s Injunction Application

    Ablekuma North Rerun: Accra High Court Throws Out NPP Candidate’s Injunction Application

    Story by Lawrence Odoom/ Phalonzy

    Accra High Court has unequivocally dismissed an application filed by the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) parliamentary candidate for Ablekuma North, Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie, seeking to thwart the scheduled rerun of elections in 19 polling stations.

    The court’s decisive verdict underscored the imperative of ensuring representation for the constituents of Ablekuma North, thereby upholding the sacrosanct principles of democracy.

    Justice Ali Baba Abature, presiding over the case, astutely observed that the Electoral Commission (EC) would be well-positioned to provide adequate compensation to the applicant in the event that she succeeds in the substantive case. The court’s pronouncement highlighted the potential consequences of delaying the rerun, which could conceivably deprive the people of Ablekuma North of their fundamental right to parliamentary representation.

    Counsel for the applicant, Gary Nimako, vociferously argued that the EC’s decision to rerun elections in 19 polling stations was arbitrary and capricious, constituting a blatant affront to the authority of the court.

    He contended that the “pink sheets” from the polling stations in question had been duly signed and certified by party agents and presiding officers at the time of the original election, rendering any rerun both superfluous and unlawful.

    “The EC’s decision is unjustified and amounts to a direct affront to the authority of the court,” Nimako averred. The EC, undeterred by the NPP’s stance, has scheduled the rerun for Friday, July 11, 2025, underscoring its unrelenting commitment to upholding the democratic process.

  • EC Must Organize Immediate Bye -Election As Our MP Politically Missing – Aikins Ofori 

     

    The Communications Officer of Abuakwa South Constituency for the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has mentioned that, the Member of Parliament for Abuakwa – South Constituency and a lawyer, Hon. Samuel Atta – Akyea has gone missing over the past years and no where to be found in the constituency ever since he was voted into power, hence regarded as “Anonymous MP”.

    According to him, the Constituency has been facing numerous developmental challenges due to his absence and therefore calling on the Electoral Commission (EC) as a matter of urgency to organize bye- elections if the law permits that for development.

    Already, some Residents, and concerned Assembly members in the constituency bemoans that, the MP after the general elections has not been found, thus no visitation, he has no special office within the constituency to lodge their complains, he can only be found on general elections day.

    There has never been a Single project he has cut – sod, commissioned or inaugurated ever since he became an MP, this has cause several economic – hardships and residents are living – hardly beyond their astronomical limits in some Communities like, Addokwanta, Ntabea, Abesim Yeboah, Bomponso no. 1&2, Kwasi-Komfo, Okanta, Aposs, Apedwa, Odumase, Akooko, Agyapomaa, Kyebi, Adukrom e.t.c.

    The said Anonymous MP is a cousin to the President and same as he did during his reign as MP now becoming President and said, they have seen this as a symbol of heredity.

    Aikins Ofori further said, it’s time now they voice out for his presence as they can’t sit down idle for things to go on distorted.

    He therefore calls on the Parliamentary fraternities to quickly call him to order.

    Call :Aikins Ofori

    Tel: 0597144984

  • Arise Ghana addresses Ghanaian on economy mismanagement and governance of impunity

    Arise Ghana addresses Ghanaian on economy mismanagement and governance of impunity

    Full Press Statement below:

    MAIDEN PRESS CONFERENCE BY “ARISE GHANA” TO ADDRESS CRITICAL ISSUES OF

    POLITICAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE TO OUR DEAR NATION.

    Wednesday, 25th May, 2022

    Good morning, ladies and Gentlemen of the press.

    We have the honour of welcoming you to this maiden press conference of “Arise Ghana”, a coalition of patriotic,

    conscientious and concerned Ghanaians drawn from various political parties, including the Peoples’ National

    Convention (PNC), the Convention Peoples’ Party (CPP), the Ghana Union Movement (GUM), the Great

    Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), the All People’s Congress (APC), the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the

    National Democratic Congress (NDC), various Civil Society Organizations, the media, the creative arts industry,

    Driver Unions, Traders and citizens from all walks of life.

    Distinguished friends from the media, “Arise Ghana”, is an amalgamation of activists who through advocacy and

    nationalistic mobilization, will seek to lead a crusade against the continuous misrule, mismanagement and maladministration of our dear nation Ghana by today’s duty bearers.

    We are determined to relentlessly champion the common cause of the Ghanaian people, provide a voice for the voiceless and vigorously seek reforms that will bring about the needed change in the socio-economic, politico-social and general wellbeing of the Ghanaian

    citizenry.

    Ladies and gentlemen, we have come to a point in our nation’s history where to remain silent is not an option.

    This is so because, to be silent is to encourage the continuous triumph of evil. To remain quiet over the present

    state of affairs is to encourage the continuous slide of our country into the abyss. Choosing not to speak about the

    current state of affairs means being complicit in the ongoing state capture and the sacrifice of our collective future

    on the altar of instant gratification. We obviously cannot afford the option of remaining silent.

    Economic hardships.

    Friends from the media, there are hardly enough words to describe the harsh economic realities of Ghanaians

    today. Fuel prices keep rising at the pumps every day, with its concomitant effect on transport fares, prices of food and general goods and services in the country.The price of fuel in Ghana today remains one of the highest in Africa. As a result of this, the distance between Kwame Nkrumah Circle and Kaneshie, costs the ordinary man in a Trotro, Ghc3 as we speak. Today, the distance from Madina to Kasoa requires a transport fare of Ghc12 even in public transport. In fact, one requires a whopping Ghc200 to travel from Accra to Tamale, a distance that used to cost the commuter Ghc100 in the year 2019.

    Inflation rate continues to gallop at an alarming rate and stands today at 23.6%, the highest in 18 years, thereby

    spiraling weekly hikes in prices of foodstuffs. A recent survey by Metro TV which was published on Sunday, 22nd May, 2022 revealed that an Olonka of Maize which sold for GH12.00 only last week, now sells for GH15.00 this week, while a sack of maize which sold for GH450.00 only last week, now sells for GH650.00 this week. In similar vein, a sack of yam which was selling at GH350.00 last week is now selling for GH450.00 this week, while a box of tomatoes which hitherto was sold at GH1000.00 last week is this week going for GH1,200.00.

    From this market survey which was done over a period of just one week, it is clear that cost of living in Ghana today is at an all-time high. With Government’s much-touted Planting for Food and Jobs program remaining a monumental failure, coupled with the ever-increasing cost of agricultural inputs and mechanization services, the threat of food insecurity looms ever larger on us than before.

    In fact, the purchasing power of the ordinary Ghanaian has fast deteriorated due to the unbearable cost of living

    thereby inflicting untold hardships on Ghanaians. Things are continuously getting worse by the day with no end

    in sight.

    WORSENING ECONOMIC CONDITIONS

    Distinguished friends from the media, the economy continues to wallow in the doldrums, with all economic indicators nose-diving while Government looks on helplessly. The Cedi’s free-fall continues unabated as a result of the failure of Government to translate its rhetoric into action. Today, the Cedi trades at about Eight Cedis, fifty pesewas (GHC8.50 = $1) to the US Dollar.

    The continuous depreciation of our national currency against its major trading partners continues to wash away the profit margins and in most cases, the capital of many businesses and traders who

    depend on forex exchange to import vital goods into the country. This situation has further aggravated the alarming rate of inflation the nation is presently experiencing.

    Even more worrying is the alarming rate of joblessness and hopelessness in the country, especially among the youth. Today, the rate of unemployment has risen to an all-time high, having moved from 6% in the year 2017 to a staggering 13.5% as at 2021.

    Indeed, our dear nation is presently in a deep economic mess. The country has lost access to the international capital market due to our unsustainable debt position. Our Public debt has increased to unprecedented and unsustainable levels from GHS120 billion cedis to over GHS391.9 billion cedis only in the last five and half years. This means that at a minimum, this government alone, since 2017, has added a whopping Ghc271.9 billion to the national debt stock, with a chunk of this going into consumption. Debt to GDP ratio has galloped from 56%

    in 2016 to about 80% as we speak, while our debt service burden has moved from about GHS14 billion cedis as at December 2016, to a whopping GHS50 billion cedis.

    This economic situation which is our worst performance in the history of this Fourth Republic has worsened our credit worthiness and dampened investor confidence in our economy leading to our worst ever downgrades by reputable sovereign credit rating Agencies such as Moody’s and Fitch. Simply put, our beloved Ghana is broke and this is a direct product of the bad leadership, insensitivity, misplaced proprieties and gross economic

    mismanagement of the present Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration.

    DRACONIAN TAXES

    While wages of the Ghanaian worker remain static, with almost all labor unions up in arms over poor wages in the wake of worsening economic hardships, the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government continues to impose killer and draconian taxes on the already burdened taxpayer.

    The recent passage of the obnoxious E-levy and its subsequent implementation remains yet another slap in the face of the Ghanaian people. Never in the history of our country has a government behaved so obstinately in imposing a draconian tax measure on its citizens, despite

    loud public outcry.

    Government’s subsequent use of judicial shenanigans in an attempt to defend the illegal imposition of this E-levy remains yet another clear demonstration of how desperate and callous they are State capturing and land grabbing.

    THE ATTEMPT TO REINTRODUCE THE FRAUDULENT AGYAPA DEAL

    Distinguished friends from the media, one of the cardinal, yet regrettable legacies of President Akufo-Addo and Alhaji Bawumia remains the unprecedented levels of state capture we are witnessing today. The practice of state capture under this government has assumed such alarming proportions that the God-given resources of this country that are supposed to benefit present and future generations are being utilized by only a few greedy family,

    friends and cronies in government today.

    One of the most bizarre, yet brazen display of state capture has manifested itself in the unpopular decision of this

    Government to Monetize our mineral resources in perpetuity under a fraudulent scheme dubbed “Agyapa” for the

    benefit of a select few.

    It initially gladdened our hearts that the Ghanaian people spoke in unison against this organized heist called “Agyapa” and forced government to suspend same. We are however mortified to note that despite the public outcry over this deal, the NPP/Akufo-Addo government is headstrong and is seeking to reintroduce the “Agyapa” deal as recently announced by the Finance Minister. We wish to serve notice that this latest attempt to reintroduce the unpopular “Agyapa” Mineral Royalties deal shall be defeated, as we shall resist same with everything within us.

    GRABBING OF ACHIMOTA FOREST RESERVE LANDS

    Ladies and gentlemen of the media, we daresay that you, like many Ghanaians, were surprised by recent reports of a certain E.I 144 which seeks to declassify portions of the Achimota Forest as no longer a Forest Reserve.

    Well, as the saying goes, coming events cast their shadows, and indeed recent events have now given out the real

    motive and intent of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia Government relative to this matter of the Achimota Forest

    Reserve. As we now know, President Akufo-Addo and his land grabbers in government were only hiding behind

    a certain historical claim by one Owoo Family to appropriate the Achimota Forest Reserve, a nature conservation of huge environmental importance to all of us, among themselves.

    It has now emerged through some leaked portions of the Will of the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, aka Sir John, a former CEO of the Forestry Commission, that elements within the Akudo-Addo/Bawumia Government have already shared lands in the Achimota Forest Reserve among themselves. Indeed, portions of the lands are contained in the leaked Will Document making the rounds. This is a tragedy of national proportions and we condemn it in no uncertain terms. To imagine that the Achimota Forest, one of the few surviving nature reserves in Ghana, would become another subject of the state capture of President Akufo-Addo and his cabal of buccaneers in Government breaks our hearts greatly.

    Friends from the media, portions of the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie’s Will reveals several prime lands, including those at the Achimota Forest and the Sakumono Ramsar Site that the late CEO of the Forest Commission acquired within a very short stint in Government, which he in turn willed to his relatives prior to his death.

    These revelations are but a microcosm of the scale and magnitude of grabbing and plundering of state lands and other resources by President Akufo-Addo and functionaries in his government in a manner akin to the conduct of pirates on the high sea.

    CORRUPTION AND ABUSE OF THE PUBLIC PURSE.

    Distinguished friends from the media, corruption remains endemic and pervasive under President Akufo-Addo and Alhaji Bawumia who have turned themselves into the greatest enablers and promoters of same.

    Despite being the most resourced government in Ghana’s history, this government has wasted all the

    unprecedented revenues that have accrued to them totaling about GHS500 billion mainly through profligacy and

    corruption.

    At the risk of sounding monotonous, it bears reminding that corruption scandals such as the BOST scandal involving the illegal sale of five million liters of contaminated fuel to dubious entities, the Australian Visa Fraud Scandal, the Galamsey Fraud Scandal, the PPA Contracts for Sale scandal, the PDS scandal, the Missing Excavators scandal and the most recent Sputnik V Scandal remain unresolved instances of daylight heist that President Akufo-Addo has either turned a blind eye to or whitewashed the perpetrators.

    All attempts to demand accountability for the use of Covid-19 funds continues to be suppressed by President Akufo-Addo who has effectively doused the flame of accountability. There is little wonder therefore that corruption is at an all-time high under this current regime.

    Even more bizarre is the fact that at a time when majority of Ghanaians are suffering and experiencing excruciating hardships, President Akufo-Addo continues to travel in ultra-luxurious and hyper-expensive private jets at high expense to the already-impoverished Ghanaian taxpayer just to satisfy his creature comforts.

    CONCLUSION

    Distinguished friends from the media, our dear nation is on the verge of becoming a failed state. The center can no longer hold. Things are falling apart. It goes without saying that the current state of affairs calls for action.

    Every well-meaning Ghanaian is therefore duty-bound not only to speak against the ills of today, but also to act now in order to save the soul of our nation.

    This is why we in Arise Ghana are saying to all conscientious Ghanaians to arise and “Save Ghana Now”!

    DEMANDS

    1. We demand an immediate withdrawal of E.I 144 and an end to the land grabbing of the Achimota Forest Reserve lands. Caution is hereby served to President Akufo-Addo and his land grabbers to stay their hands off the Achimota Forest lands. We urge Parliament who are the representatives of the people to institute a bi-partisan probe into the matters relating to the sale of lands in the Achimota Forest immediately. This probe should be

    transparent and all persons, be they past or present government officials, civil or public servants, and all whose hands are soiled by this shameless grabbing of Achimota Forest lands should be named, shamed and the stolen Lands retrieved for the State.

    2. We demand an immediate and total cancelation of the Agyapa Royalties deal as same is not in national interest.

    We will never sit aloof and allow a few selfish and greedy thieves in government to appropriate our mineral royalties for themselves and their families.

    3. Also, we demand an immediate reduction in fuel prices through the scrapping of crippling fuel taxes such as

    the sanitation levy (“borla tax”) of 10 pesewas on every liter of diesel and petrol. We believe that this if done, will provide some respite to suffering drivers and Ghanaians as a whole.

    4. Additionally, we demand the immediate repeal of the obnoxious E-levy Act, which is nothing but naked thievery of the meager resources of the citizenry by the wicked Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government.

    In the light of the foregoing demands, “Arise Ghana” shall hold a Public Forum in the coming days to further expatiate on these important matters of considerable public interest.

    More importantly, we wish to announce for the information of all Ghanaians, that we shall be embarking on a mammoth demonstration on the 21st of June 2022 in the city of Accra to press home these demands. We therefore call on all Ghanaians who desire to see a change in the affairs of our beloved country to come out in their numbers and join us on the streets of Accra for this historic protest.

    This will be the first of a series of protest actions that we shall relentlessly be holding across the length and breadth

    of the country with the aim of bringing sufficient pressure to bear on the insensitive, corrupt and incompetent

    Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government to act in the best interest of Ghanaians.

    Ladies and gentlemen, Ghana needs to be saved now. And this must be done by you and I. We have had enough of the hardships government keeps inflicting on us; Enough of the broken promises; Enough of the naked thievery of state resources; Enough of the arrogance of power; Enough of the state-capture; Enough of the culture of impunity. We all have a role to play in the struggle to save the soul of our beloved country. The time to act is now!

    May God bless our homeland Ghana and make her great and strong through your collective efforts.

    Thank you for your attention ladies and gentlemen.

    Signed,

    Comrade Mordecai Thiombiano

    General Secretary, APC and leading Member of Arise Ghana

    (contact No.; 0279781055)

    Comrade Duncan Amoah

    Executive Secretary, COPEC Ghana and leading member of Arise Ghana

    (contact no.; 0243246570)

    Comrade Bobie Ansah

    Broadcast Journalist and Leading member of Arise Ghana

    (contact no.; 0243123620)

    Comrade Mensah Thompson

    Convener, ASEPA and leading member of Arise Ghana

    (contact no.; 0542120628)

    Comrade Osei Kofi Acquah

    National Youth Organzier, CPP and leading member of Arise Ghana

    (Contact no.; 0243388633)

    Comrade Ishaq Awudu

    Communications Director, PNC and leading Member of Arise Ghana

    (contact no.; 0244947573)

    Comrade Kojo Gold

    General Secretary, GUM and leading member of Arise Ghana

    (Contact no.; 0244782025)

    Comrade Rex Omar

    Musician and Leading Member of Arise Ghana

    (contact no.; 0556569304)

    Dzramado Selorm Dramani

    President, Unemployed Association and Leading Member of Arise Ghana

    (contact no.; 0241384810)

  • NPP exposed on electricity excess capacity lies

    NPP exposed on electricity excess capacity lies

    Press Release

    For Immediate Release

    09/05/2022

    NPP FALSE CLAIMS ON EXCESS CAPACITY DISPLACED AS THE COUNTRY FACES EMINENT DUMSOR.

    The baseless and unfounded allegations by the NPP Government that, Ghana has excess electricity generation capacity, which the country does not need, leading to the payment of about GHC 17 billion in excess capacity bills, has been displaced with available facts as contained in the recently released 2022 electricity supply plan for Ghana.

    Sadly, these contrived and concocted narratives led by no less a person than the Vice President, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia against the person of former President Mahama was therefore as needless as they are mischievous and propaganda-laden.

    The 2022 publication authored by a technical team known as “The Power Planning Technical Committee (PPTC)” inaugurated in 2020 by the Hon. Minister of Energy to among others examine, plan, and make recommendations for the Ghana Power System as per the requirement in Section-7 of the National Electricity Grid Code and Section 2 (2)(c) of the Energy Commission Act 1997 (ACT 541) makes very interesting conclusions.

    Amongst others, the report makes an astonishing but factual revelation that the Nation’s existing generating capacity will not be adequate to serve the projected demand with the required 18% reserve margin.

    It will be recalled that Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia at a recently held Tescon training and orientation conference at Kasoa made very wild and unsubstantiated claims on a so called GHC 17 billion payment by the state arising from what he described as excess capacity bills.

    The minority has since described this statement as false and baseless and has further challenged the Vice President and the NPP Government to produce the  details on such payments to substantiate this fictitious claim. It will interest Ghanaians to know that till date no such information has been made available.

    The current information as contained in the 2022 Electricity Supply Plan clearly points to a deceptive and dishonest narrative by the current NPP Government on the cause of the current economic hardship that the nation is experiencing.  

    For the avoidance of doubt, the following conclusions are drawn from the 2022 Electricity Supply Plan as captured in pages (vi)-(viii) of the report:

    1. An estimated amount of MMUSD 872.8 will be required to purchase Natural Gas to run the thermal plants (.i.e. a monthly average of MUSD 72.74).

    2. The provision for LCO, diesel and HFO during the gas outage period leads to a total of US$ 988 Million required for fuel purchase in 2022.

    3. Relocation of the 250 MW Ameri Power Plant from Takoradi to Kumasi reduces transmission system losses significantly. It also improves the voltage regulation in Kumasi & its environs and aids export.

    4. The existing generating capacities will not be adequate to serve the projected demand with 18% reserve margin for any of the planning years

    5. The timely completion of the committed projects barely has adequate generation up to 2024.

    5. Additional generation capacity will be needed from 2023, specifically, 184 MW, 187 MW, 114 MW and 337 MW additional generation capacity will be needed in 2023, 2024, 2026, and 2027, respectively.

    -RECOMMENDATIONS-

    Based on the above conclusions, the following are some of the key recommendations made:

    1. Due to the growing electricity demand in Ghana, there is an urgent need to make arrangements to increase gas supply volumes for more Thermal generation. It is also very important to make necessary investments towards an improved gas supply reliability owing to the increasing dependency on natural gas for power generation.

    7. Efforts should be expedited to complete the relocation of the 250 MW Ameri Power Plant to Kumasi by September 2022 to create a new generation enclave in Kumasi, among others.

    It is equally revealing from the report that the claim that Ghana has excess Gas leading to capacity payments are false. Indeed, the report rather recommends that efforts are made to increase available Gas supply. So, the Ameri plant was not bad and needless after all, as the NPP wanted us to believe.

    Thank you.

    Hon.John Abdulai Jinapor (MP)

    Ranking Member

    (Mines and Energy Committee)

  • Don’t Hide Behind The Bible For Credibility, The Battle Has Always Been Yours

    07/05/22

    By: Godwin Ako Gunn

    There are a lot of things in the Bible that inspire people and it may not be salvation. A lot of people have been swindled in the name of God, and someone wants to swindle you in the name of love for the word of God. Let’s see some crimes that can inspire the wicked.

    *TAKING A PERSON’S WIFE AND TAKING HIS LIFE*

    David was nearly killed in battle and the army generals made a resolution never to allow David to go to war. They provided him with all the luxury he needed in his house. But idleness and  not being interested in waging war against poverty, unemployment etc, made him buy a drone to be flying on the roof of his house. This drone landed him in Uriah’s bathroom, when he was at the war front defending the nation of Israel and the wife was having her bath.

    The story didn’t end there, because the bathing in the air had brought shame to king David, he had to recall his general Uriah, from Canada to cover up his shame, but when he refused, he paid dearly on the Ada road.

    *NEPOTISM* 

    Nepotism is accepted in the bible, because they ruled as Chiefs and Kings. Members of the family and friends became advisers, ministers, negotiators, judges etc. Some persons, inspired by this, have extended it to our democracy. They will choose their EC chairpersons, their auditor general, their supreme court judges etc. They forget to appreciate that, this same nepotism, destroyed the house of David.

    *RULING WITH IRON FISTS*

    A foolish descendant of David, Jeroboam who didn’t learn anything about governance because ones his father has been a king before, it is bound to happen.

    He had no plans, just a sense of entitlement, he felt it is his turn!!! He found it absurd when his citizens complained of fuel price hikes, increase in the price of tomatoes and garlic, taxes like the sanitation tax, covid tax, E-levy etc, he boldly looked into their eyes and said “My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions”. It’s sad, the things that inspire people in the bible.

    *KEEPING A GARDEN IN FRONT OF YOUR HOUSE*

    Naboth’s family lived in peace until president Ahab became king. He asked Naboth for his vineyard to plant flowers and herbs because it was close to his house. When he refused, his wife arranged for Naboth to be stoned to death and they took the land. They beautified it with metal fabrications, herbs and trees. He even imported special lights from Syria, Palestine and the Hittites. The bible can inspire you to acquire people’s land and hotels compulsorily just because its close to your house.

    Today *CSIR* are fighting for lands earmarked for their research works. The government is plotting those land for family and friends. Ministers and metropolitan chief executives have all turned a blind eye on their calls for intervention because it serves their interests.

    Don’t get me wrong, I believe in the word of God, but I fear people who can even scam God. Faith based slogans like; the battle is the lord’s, Insha Allah and many others are their guiding quotes.

    No one can see the construction of a man’s mind in his face. The bible has also admonished us not to judge. I can only advise for us to be wise as a serpent, as we pray for Better days ahead.

    *Kun fa Yakun*

  • Suppression of Opposition Voices: NDC petitions Commonwealth Secretariat

    Suppression of Opposition Voices: NDC petitions Commonwealth Secretariat

    The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has petitioned the Commonwealth Secretariat to investigate and subsequently sanction the current administration over what the party calls bad governance and abuse of human rights.

    At a press briefing in Accra today, Monday, the General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, said the petition is to draw the attention of the international body to instances of abuse of the judiciary, political persecutions, and abuse of human rights.

    Mr Nketia noted these acts are against the norms and practices of members of the Commonwealth of Nations.

    “Since assuming power in 2016 the message of physical violence against political opponents that President Nana Addo Dankwa preached and championed before 2016 General Election has turned into structural institutional and systematic forms of violence in the form of human rights violations, harassment and political persecution against members and supporters the National Democratic Congress,” the NDC General Secretary, told the media in a press conference.

    He continued: “Significantly, buffer institutions such as the judiciary whose core mandate is to mediate between the interest of opposing parties, and ensure the promotion of the rule of law and the promotion of individual liberties have become systematic enfeeble with the attendance of loss of public confidence in these institutions,”

    Apart from political opponents, several journalists have been arrested and detained under the governing New Patriotic Party.

    Recently, Accra FM’s presenter, Kwabena Bobbie Ansah was arrested for the publication of false news and offensive conduct, while Power FM’s Oheneba Boamah Bennie was jailed for two weeks and fined GH¢3,000 for contempt of court.

    There have been countless calls on President Akufo-Addo to let his actions reflect his support for the promotion of human rights.