All Set For NPP Race

Posted: Daily Guide |Thursday, 05 August 2010
www.dailyguideghana.com

By Charles Takyi-Boadu
Contrary to speculations that there are still lingering issues about the flagbearership race of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), party Chairman Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey says all is clear.

Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey has asked all who have doubts about the impending elections to disabuse their minds of any perception.

Addressing journalists ahead of the Saturday congress at a press conference at the party’s Asylum-Down headquarters yesterday, Jake said “the knotty issues have been resolved.”

He admitted that there were teething challenges they had to tackle with reference to the difficulty in building and verifying information from the constituencies which created some misunderstanding and suspicion among some contestants.

He stressed the belief that the NPP could go into Saturday’s contest “satisfied that we have made the grounds as fair and even as we humanly can.”

As has been the tradition of the party, the August 7 congress would be conducted by the Electoral Commission in all 230 constituencies, except Ablekuma North and Ablekuma South Constituencies where certain outstanding issues are yet to be resolved.

Officials of the Commission are expected to conduct the elections in all polling centres, collate and give the final tally of votes obtained by each candidate.

Almost 113,000 delegates are expected to vote in the congress, a number which is smaller than earlier figures put out.

This, according to the party chairman, is the result of the elimination of delegates who are unable to vote and also from the merging of positions that overlap within the Electoral College defined in Article 12(A) 6 of the NPP Constitution which provides for each delegate to vote only once.

Each constituency shall therefore represent a unit polling area and polling centre whilst the National Council of Elders, the National Council, past national officers and representatives of the party’s external branches would all vote at the national headquarters here in Accra.

Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey expressed appreciation to Alan Kyerematen and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who are both contesting in the race for contributing extra resources for the transportation of delegates from their homes to their polling centres, calling on all party members and sympathisers to pray and help make the congress a success.

Voting is however expected to begin at all polling centres at 8:00 am and close at 3:00 pm on the voting day, with counting following immediately.

Provisions have thus been made for the Electoral Commission to declare the results at the Efua Sutherland Children's Park near the National Theatre.

In the event of an outright win, the winning candidate will then be declared by the National Chairman of the party.

The party has completed security arrangements and is in discussions with the various security agencies to ensure that adequate protection is provided for the entire congress.

To demonstrate its commitment to transparency, the NPP has opened the congress to both local and international journalists who have an interest in covering the process to cover the event in any constituency and at the results declaration centre.

Saturday’s congress will be historic for at least one reason; for the first time in the political history of Ghana and Africa, party delegates in 230 constituencies across one country will hold separate contests to select a presidential candidate for a general election.

This, the party says, asserts its reputation as ground-breakers in Ghana's quest for true democracy.

In August 2009, the NPP made fundamental reforms in the way to select their leaders and candidates for national elections.

The reforms, according to the party chairman, were motivated by the NPP’s desire to give power to its grassroots members and to deepen internal democracy.

It has been used to elect its polling station officers, electoral area co-ordinators, constituency executives, regional executives and national executives.

Saturday’s election of the party’s Presidential candidate will give practical expression to the power the party granted its grassroots.

STX Deal In Court

Posted: Daily Guide | August 3, 2010

By Charles Takyi-Boadu
The controversial STX Korea housing deal has suffered yet another serious setback, following an application filed at the Supreme Court by the National Youth Organizer of the Convention People's Party (CPP), Kwabena Bomfeh Jnr. aka Kabila, to restrain Parliament from considering the agreement.

In a suit dated August 2, 2010 against the Attorney General and the Speaker of Parliament, Kabila is praying the court for an interim injunction restraining government from introducing the proposed supplier's credit agreement between STX Engineering and Construction Ghana Limited.

The suit is preventing government from laying the agreement in Parliament for approval in accordance with Articles 181 of the 1992 Constitution until the hearing and final determination of the case.

He is also seeking a declaration that the amended and restated joint venture agreement between the STX and the HFC Bank Limited and government is void since it was not laid in Parliament and approved by it in accordance with the constitution.

Additionally, Mr. Bomfeh is seeking a declaration that the proposed Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) made and to be entered into between government and the EPC Contractor is an international business or economic transaction according to Ghana's Constitution.

Such a transaction would therefore be void and of no effect until it was laid before Parliament for approval.

Kabila is also seeking a relief for a declaration that unless the purported amended and restated joint venture agreements are laid before Parliament in accordance with Article 181, the consideration or purported laying and approval of the supplier's credit agreement are unconstitutional, void and of no legal consequence. The agreement is already before Parliament, originally slated for debate today before the House rises this evening. Parliament is expected to resume in October.

Accra stinks

Posted: Daily Guide | Saturday, July 31, 2010

By Charles Takyi-Boadu
THE MUCH-touted 'millennium city' Accra, which happens to be the capital of Ghana, is almost clad in darkness and literally stinking to the highest heavens.


DAILY GUIDE sent reporters to some streets and pavements of Accra, including market places like Agbogbloshie, Makola and Kantamanto and other lorry stations at Kwame Nkrumah circle, Kaneshie and the Tema station and reports they brought were nothing palatable since most of them could not behold the sight and smell of carcasses emitting from sprawling refuse, some of which have been left unattended to for almost two weeks.

This leaves much to be desired of those individuals and institutions who are responsible for the day-to-day administration of Accra, taking into consideration the tons of refuse that are piling up, even on some principle streets in the central business district and residential areas.

This raises questions as to whether or not Accra indeed deserves to be branded as a 'millennium city', in view of the fact that refuse are sprawling all over the place, with refuse containers overflowing with filth.

It has thus become a norm than a mere fashion to see people covering their noses with handkerchiefs while walking in town these days.

Accra city Mayor, Dr Alfred Oko Vanderpuye, admits there is a problem at hand.

In an interview with DAILY GUIDE , he noted that the situation is under control since according to him, the Assembly is embarking on a new refuse collection programme which would eventually end the woes of residents of Accra.

Under the current provisions, he said the 11 sub metros in the region have been assigned to 9 waste management companies which started operating in the first week of July 2010.

He believes this is what is causing the problem and expressed hope that sooner than later Accra will be rid of filth.

One other thing that seems to be bothering several residents of Accra is the issue of the darkness that befalls the capital city when the sun goes down, since most of the streetlights on the streets and pavements of the capital city, including some principal streets, are not functioning, not to mention the lots of malfunctioning traffic lights.

Meanwhile, each household, or better still electricity meter, is surcharged for streetlight each time Ghanaians go to pay their electricity bills.

Even when there are no blackouts (light off), most of the street lamps do not function.

On the issue of the streetlights, Mr. Vanderpuye said “some of them are so old… it's not easy to get the parts to replace the whole functioning system.”

He said “we are still monitoring them. Our objective is to get every street light working.