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Monday, July 14, 2008

ASABEE OUGHT TO BE DISQUALIFIED FOR 'CAMPING & BRIBING

…hearing on Thursday at Accra Fast Track court
By Charles Takyi-Boadu
Posted:Monday, July 14, 2008
The controversy surrounding the Mfantsiman West constituency primary of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has taken a new twist, with Information and National Orientation Minister, Mr. Stephen Asamoah Boateng yesterday being denied the opportunity of being introduced at the Kasoa rally by Nana Addo because of a court action.
The Minister has been cited for contempt in a crippling writ filed by Mr. Kweku Paintsil who also joined the incumbent Member of Parliament for the area and eight others, including the regional Chairman, Mr. Bootie Danquah Smith. The court will hear the responses of Mr. Asamoah Boateng on Thursday after his lawyers entered an appearance last week.
The other defendants include the NPP constituency Secretary, K. Duako Mensah and the 1st Vice Chairman of the constituency, Felix Antwi among others.
The aggrieved Parliamentary aspirant is praying the court to impose punitive measures on the defendants for defying the orders of the court.
In an affidavit in support of his application for contempt filed on Friday, July 11, 2008, at an Accra Fast Track High court, Lawyer Paintsil claimed among other things that in spite of an earlier suit which sought to bar Asabee and the other defendants from holding presenting himself as the Parliamentary Candidate of the constituency, the aforementioned individuals have jointly and severally disobeyed the court order.
With the knowledge of a pending court action, he alleged that Mr. Asamoah Boateng has inundated the entire Mfantsiman constituency with his campaign posters, a copy of which he said will be shown to the court on the hearing of this application.
He averred that these posters are intended to demonstrate to the electorate that the incumbent MP is the party’s Parliamentary Candidate for the impending national elections, notwithstanding the court’s action, or that the court action will come to nought.
Lawyer Paintsil deposed to the facts contained in the affidavit, which he said are within his personal knowledge and belief.
He has thus given indications that at the hearing of this application, his Counsel, George Aborgah of Quandzie and Associates shall seek leave to refer to all processes filed in connection with the suit.
On sundry dates and times unknown to him, including Friday, July 4, 2008, Lawyer Paintsil noted that all the defendants visited some towns and communities in the Mfantsiman West Constituency and openly and publicly campaigned for the incumbent by introducing him as the duly elected or nominated candidate of the NPP, for the impending parliamentary election and requested that the electorate should vote for him.
According to him, the activities of the defendants were the subject of various radio and television news reports, including, but not limited to Unique Radio news bulletin of Sunday 6th July, 2008; Radio Central News Bulletin of Monday 7th July, 2008 and the Daily Guide newspaper edition of Tuesday 9th July, 2008, on page 17.
“All the Respondents herein are adamant and have threatened publicly and openly at sundry places and times, to repeat their conduct by introducing Mr. Stephen Asamoah Boateng as the party’s Parliamentary Candidate for the Mfantsiman West Constituency, at a mass political rally scheduled to be held at Kasoa on Sunday, 13th July, 2008,” he emphasised.
For this reason, plaintiff said “I am convinced that the aforesaid conduct of the Respondents constitutes an affront to the administration of justice and the same is in contempt of court, having regard to the fact, inter alia, that the Court has been called upon to nullify the sham elections and order the party to conduct a fresh one, at which the incumbent must be disqualified.”
By their individual and respective conducts, he noted that the respondents are of the view that they are either untouchable or above the laws of Ghana, by reason of their positions that they hold, or as members of the ruling government and have engaged in their various conduct regardless of the consequences, firmly believing that they cannot be punished by any Court.
Lawyer Paintsil therefore believes that the court has powers to bring the respondents and each of them to order and punish them accordingly for their contempt of court, saying “wherefore, and in the circumstances I swear to this affidavit in support of the application to commit the Respondents for contempt.”
On 11th June, 2008, the aggrieved Parliamentary Aspirant commenced an action in the same court against the respondents, seeking against all of them, jointly and severally, a declaration that the purported election held on Monday 25th May, 2008, to elect Mr. Asamoah Boateng as the NPPs Parliamentary Candidate for the Mfantsiman West constituency was a nullity for the several reasons stated in the statement of claim. Consequently, he sought a court order annulling the results of the said election as void.
He also prayed the court for an order restraining Asabee from in any way, whether by advertisement, campaign posters, participating in programmes, mounting political platforms, or howsoever, holding himself out as the party’s nominee or candidate for parliamentary elections in the Mfantsiman West constituency, until final determination of the suit or until the Court otherwise directs.
He also sought an order restraining the NPP from in any way, whether by introduction or involvement in political programmes or presentations or howsoever, holding the incumbent out as its nominee or Parliamentary Candidate for the Mfantsiman West constituency for the impending general elections, until final determination of the suit or further order of the court.
Additionally, he prayed the court for an order directed to the NPP to conduct fresh election to elect a Parliamentary Candidate for the Mfantsiman West constituency and a further order disqualifying Mr. Asamoah Boateng from participating in any such fresh election on account of what he claims to be “his fraudulent electoral practices, including camping delegates and bribing them.”
Ordinarily, Lawyer Paintsil said this case would not have come to court but for the party and Mr. Mac Manu’s adamant refusal to investigate my complaints with regard to the conduct of the said sham election and what appeared to be his (Mac Manu’s) patent bias and collusion with the incumbent in all the matters forming the basis of the court action.

FONAA ROOTS FOR JAWULA

…Asks Nana Addo to stick to ‘yenim wo fri tete’
By Charles Takyi-Boadu
Posted:Monday, July 14, 2008
With just a couple of weeks for the Presidential Candidate of ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to name his choice of Running Mate, his own people, the Executives of the Friends of Nana Akufo-Addo (FONAA) fun club have asked him to stick to his grounds and nominate Lepowura Alhaji MND Jawula as Running Mate.
Their reason is simple, “he has been with the party from the trenches since 1992 and his records and credentials in governance and administration surpasses that of his other colleagues.”
The Executives of the Salaga constituency branch of FONAA including the likes of its Coordinator, Siibu Abudu ‘Jebote’, Secretary, Braimah Soale Rashid, a founding member of the party in Salaga, Mahama Issah and former Constituency Secretary Draman Abdul Wahab made this known at a press briefing in Accra over the weekend.
They recalled how the Lepowura single handedly rented and furnished the Salaga constituency office of the party in addition to 10 bicycles and cash to enable them campaign in the area way back in the year 1992 at a time when his contenders for the position were no where to be found in the activities of the party.
According to them, these and other contributions of Jawula led to his being selected as the NPPs Parliamentary Candidate for the area, stressing that but for the party’s decision to boycott the 1992 Parliamentary elections, he would have been the Member of Parliament for Salaga since his posters and campaign were all over the place.
“So if anybody says he is not an NPP member then that person may not have been with the party from the onset but a latter day saint, he is indeed a true Dankwa-Busia traditionalist.”
“Apart from being a Dankwa-Busia traditionalist, we believe Nana Addo must stick to his believe in the ‘yenim wo fri tete’ slogan to select Lepowura as his choice of Running Mate”, they emphasised.
They further stressed the believe that Jawula has the tendency of bringing more floating votes to the NPP since his popularity and lineage cuts across the political divide in especially the three Northern regions where the ruling party have had a difficult time in convincing getting the votes of the electorates.
The FONAA members have thus cautioned the party against endorsing the candidature of any individual either than the Lepowura since according to them, it has the tendency of affecting the voting pattern and the fortunes of the NPP in the upcoming elections, saying “with Lepowura, we are more than convinced that Nana has less work to do because he is a man of the people.”
In spite of his silent but numerous contributions to the party, the Lepowura is banking his hopes on his 32years proven track record in both public and civil service as an accomplished Administrator to get the position of Running Mate.
His supporters in FONAA believe evidence of his commitment and contributions to national development were reasons behind President Kufuor’s decision to give Jawula a national award alongside several other distinguished Ghanaians.
They have therefore asked Nana Addo to make no mistake in choosing any other person apart from Lepowura MND Jawula as his Running Mate to make the 2008 elections a mere formality.

KUFUOR ANOINTS NANA AKUFO-ADDO

…massive rally at Kasoa
By Charles Yakyi-Boadu & George Kyei Frimpong
Posted: Monday, July 14, 2008
President J.A Kufuor has anointed Nana Akufo-Addo as his successor with a call on Ghanaians to judge the New Patriotic Party (NPP) by its records. “Those who are misjudging us have not travelled outside Accra, otherwise they would not be criticising us”, he said at a mammoth rally to officially outdoor Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and all the parliamentary candidates at Kasoa, in the Central region, yesterday.
According to him, if their opponents have been to places such as Kibi, Nkawkaw, Kumasi, Sunyani, Sogakope, Dambai, Worawora, Kete Krachi, Salaga and Tamale, they would have noticed the transformation of the country by virtue of the roads leading to these towns and several others in the country. The President said that Tamale is now the most beautiful city in the whole of Ghana, because of the good work of his government.
The President also referred to the oil discovery by his government, the purchase of the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO) and the negotiation with some International companies to establish an aluminium smelter plant in Ghana, among a host of others. He maintained that all these developments witnessed by the country took place within seven and half years. He appealed to Ghanaians to vote for Nana Akufo-Addo to protect the oil that has been discovered and also continued with the good work that his government had initiated.
“The oncoming election is about leadership,” he reiterated.
He observed that although people were claiming that there are hardships in the country, there has never been a case where someone has died of hunger, but rather happiness and peace abound everywhere in Ghana.
President Kufuor advised NPP supporters to trash accusations against Nana Addo and himself that they were not lawyers.
He said Nana Addo’s family formed the bulk of the famous ‘big six’, adding that three of the members were related to Nana Addo. “Someone is saying that Akufo Addo was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but let’s be truthful, who wouldn’t like to be in such a position?” he queried.
He said those who were questioning Nana Addo’s professionalism should ask themselves the qualification they also hold, stressing that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) would be buried once and for all.
The President, who was overwhelmed by the teeming number of the party’s supporters, who turned up at the rally grounds, said he had been in politics for over 40 years but has never seen such a crowd before.
The President continued that when the government assumed power, they reduced the middle-income target from 2020 to 2016, and that the objective could even become a reality before the period they have set. He reiterated his confidence in Nana Addo, since he has worked with him while he was in government and travelled with him to a number of places when he was the Foreign Minister. The President at the end of his speech symbolically handed over a baton, signifying the passing over of the leadership of the party to Nana Akufo-Addo.
After receiving the baton, in the form of an NPP flag, Nana Akufo-Addo thanked God for the love he had shown to the country. According to him, Ghana could not have come this far if not for the mercies of God.
He also took the opportunity to thank President Kufuor and vice-President Alhaji Aliu Mahama for their exemplary leadership skills which they have both exhibited over the last seven years since they assumed power. These skills, he said, have translated into productive gains for the country.
Considering the trials and tribulations that Ghanaians went through under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, Nana Addo was optimistic that no one would make the mistake of changing the country’s destiny by voting for the NDC. He urged Ghanaians to come out in their numbers on December 7, to endorse him as the successor to President Kufuor, to move the country forward.
He said that the way forward is to establish proper institutional structures for the basic tenets of democracy and good governance to flourish.
“If our country is to prosper, it is because every single child in Ghana will have the opportunity to have good education so that our population will be educated for the skills needed for a modern economy”, he emphasised.
The crowd went gay when he promised to make high school education in the country free, stressing that “if free primary school education has come in the era of Kufuor, then in the era of Akufo-Addo, we are going to have free secondary education in our country.”
He expressed the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) determination and commitment to make sure that everybody, either rich or poor, especially the poor, have access to quality education, saying “that is the way we are going to build our nation.”
That notwithstanding, he said he would also make sure that every region in Ghana has a public University.
According to him, the foundation laid by President Kufuor and his administration makes it possible to achieve these targets. Nana Addo stressed the need for Ghana to move away from being a mere exporter of raw materials, stressing, “We now have to begin the process of industrialisation of our country.” In the next 10years, he said, “we are going to change the structure of the Ghanaian economy, so that, instead of being a producer of raw material, we are now going to be a producer of light industrial goods.
Apart from the process of industrialisation, he noted that Ghanaians cannot make it without modernising agriculture.
For that to happen, the NPP Presidential Candidate stressed the need to bridge the gap between the south and the north, emphasising that “I want to be the President that leads the process for bridging the gap between the south and the north so that we can move forward.” He thus promised to make the north, the breadbasket of the entire West African sub-region.
Nana Addo had cause to caution those beating war drums in the country by sending a word of advise to them that no single individual or a group of disgruntled persons destroy the destiny of the country. He also advised his political opponents who are knocking the heads of the various tribes together to stop the practice in the name of peace.
He also had cause to complain about the actions of some politicians who he said are engaged in divide and rule by inciting people and ethnic groups against the other, stressing that “we in the NPP reject the politics of divide and rule, we do not approve of the politics of divide and rule.”
In that regard, he urged all Ghanaians no matter ones ethnic or political background to unite in peace for the development of the nation.