The Minister for Energy, Dr matthew opoku Prempeh, also known as NAPO, has come under intense pressure following a recent street protest in Accra against erratic power supply in the country.

Demonstrators who joined Ghanaian actress Yvonne Nelson on Saturday, June 8,  called for an immediate end to the power crisis that has plagued the country for several months.

The outages, known as #Dumsor, have affected people and businesses across the country, including students.

Actress Yvonne Nelson, who led a similar protest in 2015, led the demonstration, calling on the government to fix the problem.

Despite feeling unwell, Nelson joined the protesters, who wore black and red shirts and held placards reading “Ghana deserves better, fix #Dumsor”, “#Dumsor is killing our dreams”, and “No more darkness, no more excuses”.

The protesters, who held a 7-hour vigil from the University of Ghana to the Tetteh Quarshie roundabout, demanded an end to the power crisis, which they say has become unbearable.

Yvonne Nelson said a viral video from a public hospital where the lights had gone out in the labor and admission wards, leaving mothers and newborns in the dark, had motivated her to mobilize people for the protest.

Henry Osei Akoto, one of the convenors of the protest said the vigil was meant to tell the president to “carry our light and give it to us”.

“We are demonstrating today to tell the Energy Minister, Matthew Opoku Prempeh to stop the arrogance  and give us stable power to ensure that businesses are running well,” Akoto Osei told XYZ News.

He said Ghana needs only 750 megawatts of power, but the government has failed to provide it.

Students who joined the protest said the situation had become worse, with power outages affecting their studies and exams. Business owners, including cold store operators and metal smiths, also complained that the power crisis was affecting their businesses.

The convenors of the protest submitted a formal letter containing their demands to the president and expect a change soon. Otherwise, they vowed to take further action to put pressure on the government to fix the power crisis.

Source: Myxyzonline.com

The High Court in Accra has dismissed an application inviting it to halt trial and order an enquiry into the alleged conduct of the Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame in the case in which the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson and a businessman are standing trial for allegedly causing financial loss of €2.37 million to the state.

In a ruling Thursday [June 6, 2024], the court presided over by Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, who dismissed the application filed by the Minority leader and the businessman, said the court had no jurisdiction in a criminal matter, to order an enquiry into the conduct of the Attorney-General particularly when the it has called on the accused person to open their defence after the prosecution had closed its case.

Specifically, she dismissed the application on grounds that there was no legal basis in the country’s statutes to make such an order.

The court also ruled that no special circumstance had been established to order a stay of proceedings, and order a mistrial.

More soon

Lawyers of IMANI Ghana and Security expert Kwasi Aning have filed a new suit over the appointment of some heads of the security agencies in the country by the executive withdrawing an earlier one filed at the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court subsequently struck out the old one when the matter was called on Wednesday 5th June 2024.

This was after lawyers of the Plaintiffs- IMANI Ghana and security analysts Kwesi Aning told the Court that, they had filed a notice to discontinue the matter.

Before striking out the case, the Chief Justice, Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo described as “really unacceptable” the manner in which the case was publicised and its subsequent withdrawal.

The panel of seven chaired by Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo wondered why such a widely publicised matter that has gained public interest would be withdrawn.

Paa Joe Akuamoah Boateng, Counsel representing the Plaintiffs explained that the withdrawal was to allow for the case to be refiled following new developments.

Background

In the writ filed in association with security analyst, Prof Kwesi Aning, the plaintiffs were asking the apex court to issue a declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of the letter and spirit of Articles 200, 202(1), 202(2), 202(3), 205, 207(1), 207(2), 207(3), 190(1), 191,196, 199, and 269 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, the President of the Republic of Ghana has no authority to terminate the appointment or removal from office heads of the agencies unless only upon proven stated misconduct or misbehaviour established against these office holders.

These offices included the office of the Chief Fire Officer of the Fire Service; Inspector General of Police; Director General of Prisons Service and Comptroller General of Immigration Service.

Again, the two were seeking a declaration that “The President of the Republic of Ghana upon assumption of Office does not have the power to make a fresh appoint to the office of the Chief Fire Officer of the Fire Service; Inspector General of Police; Director General of Prisons Service and Comptroller General of the Immigration Service unless the immediate holder of the office is deceased”.

The Plaintiffs also were seeking relief that the appointment of the heads of these uniformed security services by a new president who has been voted into power and sworn into office is unconstitutional.

Providing more details to back their case, the two argued that there are concerning trends where new governments compel the termination of the appointment of these heads while disregarding their constitutional rights.

“In some cases, these removals occur before the individual occupants of the office reach the statutory retirement age.

For instance in 2017, the then Director-General of the Prisons Service, Mr. Emmanuel Yao Adzator was asked to proceed on leave at the age of 54 and subsequently another was appointed in his stead,” the suit said.

They are, therefore, demanding a consequential order to restrain or prevent the President of the Republic from dismissing or removing or attempting to dismiss or remove the appointment of persons occupying the offices of the Chief Fire Officer of the Fire Service; Inspector General of Police; Director-General of Prisons Service, Comptroller General of Immigration Service unless only in cases of proven and stated misconduct or misbehaviour established against such persons or upon retirement or resignation or death or incapacity to perform the functions of the office because of infirmity of body and mind.

Source: Citinewsroom