All posts by Piesie Okrah

News, Politics

Minority plans to kick against GH₵7 billion tax waiver

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The Minority in Parliament has vowed to kick against any tax waiver policy government is seeking to present before the House for approval.

The NDC MPs argue the decision will only favour some select few to the detriment of the poor and locally-owned businesses in the country.

According to the Ranking Member on the Trade and Industry Committee, Yussif Sulemana, the Minority has identified a GH₵7 billion tax exemption the government intends to introduce under the guise of One District One Factory, while in actuality it is seeking to benefit the government cronies.

Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, he said, “the kind of taxes that this government has imposed on us, starting from 2017 to date, about 50 taxes that have been imposed after they had come to say that taxes that were imposed by the NDC government were nuisance.

“We have also been reliably informed, and we are speaking because we have seen documents that suggest that they are bringing another GH₵7 billion tax waiver request to Parliament. Now, if you put the two together, you are talking about GH₵12.5 billion, in tax exemptions. Okay. Here you are, wanting to grant GH₵12.5 billion to your friends and your family members in the name of tax exemptions in the name of 1D1F.”

Mr Sulemana stressed that the Minority would oppose any of such taxes because the citizenry has long been afflicted, adding that such tax exemption solely enriches the elite whilst the average Ghanaian suffers.

He clarified that the Minority is not opposed to the idea of taxing, as it was one of the ways to generate revenue and promote development, but the unfair mode of generation.

The Bole Bamboi MP referred to the current GH₵100 eco-tax the government intends to collect from vehicle owners. He raised questions about how small and large vehicles are expected to pay a leveled amount of money.

According to him, the government could vary the pricing, that way large vehicles pay more, and small vehicles pay less.

Again, the ranking member also questioned the unit of measurement the government would use to detect the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by these vehicles.

He stated that in the long run, this eco-tax will again favor some select few.

“What mechanisms have you put in place to be able to measure the carbon that you want to even tax? So again, what you are going to see is that they look into a face and say that the carbon that you have generated is 20 tons. Multiply that by 10, okay, by 100. And then they take money from you.

“They look at a person’s face and say, oh, this guy, he is a party person. He has done only five. So you multiply 100 by five and he also pays that again, doesn’t satisfy the principles of taxation we call equity or certainty. So I don’t know how much I’m going to pay. And I don’t know whether or not what I’m paying is the same thing somebody else is paying. When the person generates almost the same carbon dioxide that we are all talking about.

On the back of this, he emphasised that “These are nuisance taxes, and we must not allow this government to impose these taxes on the already suffering Ghanaians.”

 

Source: Myjoyonline.com

News

We’ll resist lithium mining – Effutu chief

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The paramount chief of the Effutu Traditional Area, Neenyi Ghartey VII, has conveyed the traditional council’s disinterest in allowing lithium mining on their land.

The chief expressed concerns about the potential environmental impact on their stream, lagoon, and hunting grounds, crucial for the annual Aboakyire festival.

Speaking on the Class Morning Show with Kwame Dwomoh Agyemang on Wednesday, 13 December 2023, Neenyi Ghartey outlined three main reasons against any form of mining in the area.

He emphasised that lithium mining, being surface mining, would destroy their stream and mini-lagoon, jeopardising their status as a Ramsar site of international importance.

Additionally, the hunting grounds integral to the Aboakyire festival would be compromised.

Neenyi Ghartey questioned the benefits of lithium mining compared to the contributions of the Aboakyire festival to tourism and the community’s well-being.

He stated: “I will be glad if somebody can come forward and tell me the tourism interest, what we give to the government because of the festival and what this lithium will give to us in three-five years.”

The paramount chief made it clear that as of now, no entity has approached the traditional council for mining in Winneba.

However, he asserted that if such a situation arises in the future, both the council and the people will resist it.

Neenyi Ghartey emphasised that mining is not the sole path to community development, adding that revenue from tourism, particularly from the Aboakyire festival, can contribute equally.

“We will resist it because it’s not minerals alone that will make a country what it is. I’ve travelled to a few places and I know what the countries get from tourism. So, if that is ours and what we contribute towards the national good, why not protect it?” he remarked.

Meanwhile, notably, various prominent Ghanaians, including Council of State member Sam Okudzeto and former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo, have criticised the current lithium mining deal between the government of Ghana and Barari BV.

Despite opposing voices, the Minerals Commission asserts that the deal is in the best interest of the nation.

The $250-million project is scheduled to commence production by 2025, with the government standing to gain a 10% royalty and a 30% stake in Atlantic Lithium.

Lands Minister Samuel Abu Jinapor insists that this deal represents the best in Ghana’s mining history.

 

Source: Classfmonline.com

 

News, Politics

Bawumia must answer his economic questions posed to Mahama – Kwasi Amnakwaa

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The opposition NDC parliamentary candidate for Kumawu, Mr Kwasi Amankwaa has ran down the economic prowess of Vice President Dr Mahamadu Bawumia.

Bawumia, who was recently elected to be the 2024 flag bearer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), is seeking to win next year’s polls to revive the economy of the country after seeking a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

In the run up to the 2016 elections, Bawumia, who was the main speaker of the policies of the Akufo-Addo-led NPP, always utilised every opp0ortunity to discredit the John Mahama government, while rallying Ghanaians to rise for change.

Popular among his promises were prudent management of the economy, prioritising productivity to curb inflation and currency depreciation among others.

While President Mahama was campaigning for re-election on the back of social infrastructure for economic transformation, Dr. Bawumia mocked his credentials, citing huge borrowing that had burdened the fiscal space of the country.

The NPP Running Mate noted that the NPP would able to accomplish a lot more with less resources unlike the NDC-led government.

For instance, Bawumia had been trumpeting that the NDC government had huge gold and oil revenue at its disposal but because of  incompetence, President Maham was not able to introduce programmes that would have positive impact in the lives of the citizenry.

Economic Downturn

After seven years of attaining political power, the NPP government has come under fire for the economic nosedive that has skyrocketed inflation and high cost electricity, water and  food.

The government has attributed the economic downturn to the coronavirus pandemic between 2020 and 2021.

However some experts said Ghana recklessly embarked on a borrowing spree before the onset of Covid-19, a sharp contrast to the pledge of utilising state resources to manage the economy.

Again, analysts who backed Bawumia to demonise the IMF bailout under the Mahama administration have expressed shock at how the government crippled the economy and had to rush to the Bretton Woods institution to salvage the economy.

Ghana’s economic status has suffered several downgrades to junk status this year by rating agencies Several following the country’s inability to service its external debts.

Reacting to the hardship and the NPP government’s failure to put things on track on Dwaboase on TV XYZ, Wednesday, Kwasi Amankwaa wondered why Bawumia gathered the courage to step up to lead the NPP after his boss, President Akufo-Addo had sunk the economy.

“Our current economic situation under President Nana Akufo-Addo is worse than the famine situation of 1982 and 1983. Today young people are unable to land jobs; people can’t afford a 3-square meal due to a hyperinflation,” he argued.

“I think Ghanaians must push Dr. Bawumia to answer the same questions he posed to John Mahama in 2015/2016 and described him as incompetent because they are worse off than the very issues he jabbed President Mahama for,”he added.

 

Source: Myxyzonline.com

News

Address corruption as organised crime swiftly – UN Resident Coordinator to Govt

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The United Nation Resident Coordinator, Charles Abani, has stressed the importance of addressing corruption as an organised crime with swift action by government.

Given the organised nature of corruption and its cross-border impact, the Resident Coordinator said it should not just be seen as a moral issue – calling on all stakeholders to work together in order to fight the menace.

He made this call at a sensitisation workshop organised by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) in partnership with the High-Level Implementation Committee (HiLAC).

Mr. Abani noted that corruption undermines democracies, siphons trillions of dollars from the most vulnerable and hinders economic progress, warning that evading the rule of law and creating chaotic entanglements only serves to increase the visibility of these crimes.

“Corruption is not just a moral issue; it is a crime that must be addressed by the state. It is often organised and crosses borders, making it necessary for stakeholders to engage with others. Corruption undermines democracies, steals trillions of dollars from those most in need and obstructs economic progress. Averting the rule of law and creating erratic entanglements only serves to increase publicity for these crimes,” The Resident Coordinator said.

The Resident Coordinator highlighted portions of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2022 report, which describes systemic corruption as a significant obstacle to achieving sustainable development. This, he insisted, needs to be addressed with urgency as it has a tendency to hamper the economy’s growth.

The impact of corruption in Ghana is significant, with reports indicating that there were GH₵17.4million bribes in 2021; and the country loses up to GH₵5billion through corruption and illicit financial flows, the UN Resident Coordinator stated.

He said this level of corruption has a profound impact on the country: stifling the ease of doing business, acting as a disincentive for foreign direct investment and affecting basic services such as health, education and social protection. It also creates a significant gap in funding needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, he added.

Mr. Abani noted that is important for Ghana to improve accountability and transparency in spending, raise domestic resources and revenue and stymie corruption, in order to achieve sustainable development.

National Anti-Corruption Action Plan

Deputy Commissioner at CHRAJ, Richard Quayson, explained that the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan is a strategic action plan consultatively developed by stakeholders to help fight corruption and promote national development in Ghana. It provides a framework for mobilising public support and resources for anti-corruption activities, and promoting integrity, transparency and accountability in all areas.

Commenting on the need for an evaluation of the plan, Mr. Aban said: “The evaluation of our activities is crucial, as completing all activities means nothing if they do not have the desired effect. It is important to ensure that resources – such as concessional money – have the impact they should in order to lift Ghana out of poverty. This evaluation is critical in our fight against corruption and achieving sustainable development”.

He added that the UN is committed to working with Ghana to combat corruption and promote sustainable development for the benefit of all citizens.

The workshop aimed to observe the 2023 International Anti-Corruption Day (IACD), an annual event celebrated every December 9th to promote united efforts against corruption. It also sought to give an outline of the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP) and upcoming assessment, as well as create a strategy for raising awareness, education and advocacy on NACAP and IACD.

 

Source: The B&FT

Busines, News

High cost of local production fuelling Ghanaians’ taste for foreign products – Attah Issah

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Financial analyst and politician Attah Issah has blamed Ghana’s swelling import drive on the inability of the government to help businesses minimise cost of local production.

The Parliamentary candidate for the opposition NDC in Sagnarigu said the cost of doing business in Ghana has gone off the roof in than past year, making local products more expensive to the average Ghanaian who struggles to find a financial balance due to the harsh economic conditions.

To him, it is the reason the taste for foreign products has heightened among Ghanaians in the past few years, making it difficult for the government to control inflation.

Speaking in an interview on TV XYZ, Issah who is an entrepreneur bemoaned the tax components on the prices of locally made products, stressing that the west does not improve economies through imposing such nuisance taxes but rather create enabling environment for businesses to be more efficient and export more products.

“Ghana has acquired foreign taste due to [the] cost of doing business in Ghana,” he stated and explained that there is a demand for sanitary pads in the country but the locally ones are expensive due to the high cost of producing the pads.

“Because of government policies abroad, they are able to produce more at a lower cost so when their products come here you see that their prices are lower… so we have gradually acquired foreign taste.”

He said the situation also makes products made in Ghana very expensive on the international market hence hampering the country’s export drive.

He urged government to bridge the gap between the products being consumed in the country and what the country produces for the people. He wants the government to focus on agriculture and adding value to raw materials in the country.

“You need to prioritise areas that you think you have competitive advantage in,” he urged while pointing that the local production of cocoa, rice and sugar will help sustain the economy through foreign exchange.

To him, high interest rates were also hampering local production especially when private sector industry players lack access to credit to thrive and contribute to the growth of the country’s GDP.

Despite all the investments the NPP government brags of, Atta Issah believes the government did not channel the resources to the right sectors such as the private sector.

He also bemoaned that tax incentives were not given to the right companies, adding that a wanton amount of GHS 47 billion to “selected foreign companies” to the detriment of local firms.

Expressing disappointment in the Akufo-Addo government, Issah urged Ghanaians to believe in the flag bearer of the NDC, former President John Mahama, who has promised to tap into the human capital of the country through the implementation of a 24-hour economy to revive the country’s finaces.

“Tax exemptions shall be well targeted by the 24hr economy under Mahama,” he added.

NDC’s Approach to 24-hr economy

The 24-hour economy policy will be a major boost for the next NDC administration’s import substitution and export drive under John Mahama.

A Mahama government will leverage it to stabilize the national currency, improve Ghana’s reserves, bring down inflation and interest rates, create more employment opportunities and improve livelihoods.

Mahama has pledged that his government will create an enabling environment for businesses and companies to operate 24/7 by providing an atmosphere of improved security and public safety.

He pledges that his government will provide cheaper and reliable electricity for participating businesses based on a Time Of Use (TOU) tariff system.

Mahama has also promised Companies that sign unto the 24-hour economy policy modern smart meters which will be calibrated to charge a lesser tariff (per KW/h) for power consumed during off-peak hours.

Tax Incentives will also be given businesses that subscribe to the 24-hour Economy policy to reduce the cost of their operations and enhance their competitiveness.

The NDC government pledges to provide financing support  for certain strategic agro-processing factories and manufacturing companies to boost production for import substitution and exports.

 

By Henryson Okrah |Myxyzonline.com

 

News, Politics, Topstory

Provision of resources & incentives for institutions will make 24-hr economy work – Mahama

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The flag bearer of the opposition NDC, former President John Mahama, has reiterated his commitment to fulfilling his campaign promise of a 24-hour economy.

Vice President and leader of the governing NPP, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, has dismissed Mr. Mahama’s understanding of the 24-hour economy policy.

He said the policy was not novelty since it is already being implemented in Ghana through the extended operations of hospitals, fuel companies, and some ‘chop bars.

Responding to critics of the promise, Mr Mahama stated that he knew some companies operate around the clock but was quick to add that the current development was not enough for economic transformation.

Emphasising on the possibility of  the policy, he stated that a future NDC government would facilitate its implementation by providing necessary resources and incentives for interested institutions to make it easier for everyone to participate.

He made the comment during a meeting with some NDC party executives in the Western-North Region as part of his two-day tour of the area dubbed “Building Ghana Tour.”

NDC’s Approach to 24-hr economy

The 24-hour economy policy will be a major boost for the next NDC administration’s import substitution and export drive under John Mahama.

A Mahama government will leverage it to stabilize the national currency, improve Ghana’s reserves, bring down inflation and interest rates, create more employment opportunities and improve livelihoods.

Mahama has pledged that his government will create an enabling environment for businesses and companies to operate 24/7 by providing an atmosphere of improved security and public safety.

He pledges that his government will provide cheaper and reliable electricity for participating businesses based on a Time Of Use (TOU) tariff system.

Mahama has also promised Companies that sign unto the 24-hour economy policy modern smart meters which will be calibrated to charge a lesser tariff (per KW/h) for power consumed during off-peak hours.

Tax Incentives will also be given businesses that subscribe to the 24-hour Economy policy to reduce the cost of their operations and enhance their competitiveness.

The NDC government pledges to provide financing support  for certain strategic agro-processing factories and manufacturing companies to boost production for import substitution and exports.

 

Source: Myxyzonline.com

News, Politics

Jasikan & Guan districts hold District Level Elections in Dec. 19 – EC

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The Electoral Commis­sion (EC) says it  will conduct the District Level Elections in the Jasikan and Guan districts in the Oti Region on December 19, 2023,  same as the other districts.

Although nominations were not received on the 16th and 17th of November for the election, the C.I. 119 (to be amended) which was laid in Parliament has not matured.

The Commission, in a press statement signed by its Acting Head of Pub­lic Affairs, Mr Michael Boadu, said following the passage of the C.I. and in accordance with the District Level Elections Regulations 2015 (C.I. 89), the Electoral Commis­sion would conduct the District Level Elections in these two districts on the 19th of December, 2023.

According to the statement posted on its website, the EC said Nomination Forms may be ob­tained free of charge at the Jasikan and Guan District Offices of the Electoral Commission or on the website of the commission.

“Completed Nomination Forms must be delivered in quadruplicate by either the Candidate or the Pro­poser or Seconder together with two copies of a recent post-card sized photographs (bust sized) to the Returning Officer of the Elec­toral Area for which the Candidate seeks election, from Thursday, the 7th to Friday the 8th of Decem­ber, 2023 between the hours of nine o’clock in the morning to twelve noon and two o’clock to five o’clock in the evening on each day,” statement added.

It also noted that, Nominations for the District Assembly Elections would be witnessed by the signa­tures or marks of the Proposer and the Seconder and supported by eighteen (18) other persons who are residents and registered to vote in the Electoral Area.

“Nominations for the Unit Committee Elections shall be wit­nessed by the signatures or marks of the Proposer and the Seconder and supported by eight (8) other persons who are residents and registered to vote in the Electoral Area.

All enquiries related to these Elections should be addressed to the District Officers of the Elec­toral Commission in the Jasikan and Guan districts,” the statement added.

Source: Myxyzonline.com

News, Politics

Bawumia urges Bawku factions to embrace peace and resolve conflict

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Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, on a visit to Bawku on December 12, 2023, called for an immediate end to the conflict between Mamprusis and Kusasis.

Addressing the Bawkunaba and elders, he emphasized the importance of peaceful resolution through the established legal channels.

“The constitution offers a clear path to resolve chieftaincy disputes,” Dr. Bawumia stated. “Fighting and bloodshed will only perpetuate the suffering. The Constitution and the House of Chiefs, culminating in the Supreme Court, are the designated avenues for addressing these disagreements.”

He highlighted the detrimental impact of the conflict on the community and its development, expressing his pain as a son of the North. He emphasized the shared history and cultural similarities between the two groups, underscoring the possibility of peaceful coexistence.

“We are fundamentally one people. We have intermarried for generations, our languages are intertwined. I firmly believe that peace and harmony are achievable in Bawku, and I will actively work towards that goal. We must choose peace over conflict.”

Dr. Bawumia emphasized the urgent need for development and a shift in focus towards improving the lives of Bawku’s residents. He pledged his commitment to uplifting the community from poverty and underdevelopment, but stressed that peace is a prerequisite for progress.

“Our youth need jobs, education, healthcare, and infrastructure. We should be fighting for these advancements, not against each other. The enemy we face is poverty and underdevelopment, not each other.”

The Bawkunaba commended Dr. Bawumia’s visit, acknowledging it as a symbol of unity and hope.

The Vice President was accompanied by a government delegation, including the Interior Minister, Chieftaincy Minister, NPP Chairman, and several MPs from the north.

 

Source: Graphic.com

News

Anti-LGBTQ bill: We shouldn’t criminalise sex toys – Ursula Owusu-Ekuful

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Communications Minister and Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has raised concern about the criminalisation of sex toys in the Anti-LGBT bill being considered in Parliament.

According to her, the criminalisation of the use of sex toys contained in clause 3(c) of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021, would inadvertently affect heterosexual couples who use sex toys to enhance their sex lives.

Clause 3(c) of the bill prohibits sexual intercourse between a man and an inanimate object or between a woman and an inanimate object.

She noted that if the criminalisation of sex toys is the intent of the house, then Parliament would have to be clear that the bill is not just targeted at the LGBT community, but all and sundry.

Otherwise, she has called for the immediate deletion of clause 3(c).

Speaking on the floor of Parliament during the consideration of the Anti-LGBT bill she said, “And I think we raised this when the committee was considering it that the proposed amendment in 3(c) may create unintended consequences because sexual intercourse between a man and an inanimate object or between a woman and an inanimate object would necessarily include sexual intercourse with all manner of aids that couple use to enhance the sexual experience.”

“And I’m not sure if that’s what the intention of this bill is. It would necessarily include sex toys and other aids that couples, heterosexual couples also use to enhance the sexual experience.

“So if that is what the house intends then we have to be clear in our minds that we may be criminalising activities which may not necessarily be limited to only those LGBTQI community that the target of this bill is, but it may also be targeting straight couples who use sex enhancement tools to enhance the sexual experience.

“So we need to be mindful of the unintended consequences of 3(c) could be  and I’ll propose that 3(c) be deleted from this amendment.”

Meanwhile, Parliament could not agree on the appropriate punishment for LGBTQ+ persons engaging in unnatural carnal knowledge with each other.

The bill criminalizes sex between persons of the same sex, between a man or woman and an animal or object, proposing a punishment of between 3 and 5 years.

However, the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee recommended a jail term of up to 3 years without suggesting a minimum sentence.

The Chairman of the Committee explained the rationale behind the proposal on Tuesday, December 12, 2023.

“Most of the religious bodies were supporting the fact that they would give people who are prepared to go through reforms, the opportunity to go through. If we make a strict law that if you are found guilty, or you practice this, you don’t have an option. Mr. Speaker, we don’t have a community service that would have been more severe than giving the person a custodial sentence, because the society will look down upon you.

“But to caution you or to give you deserve imprisonment or imprisonment, if we leave it to the discretion of the judge, they are also members of this society, they are learned, and depending on the circumstances, that’s why I am comfortable if we give the upper limit without saying that the person must be imprisoned as a minimum requirement.”

A sponsor of the bill, Sam George said that advice on the remits of the penalty units to be slapped against culprits would be crucial in determining the gravity of the corresponding sanction.

“We should then get advice on what the minimum penalty or 750 units is concurrent with, is it three months or six months? So we have a lower limit also for custodial sentence,” he said on the floor.

But the Speaker interjected saying that there was already a law on equivalence on penalty units and therefore “that will apply.”

After the deliberations, the Speaker deferred the questions to the parliamentary drafters to draft the detailed form of the discussions to better reflect the intentions of various legislators.

Background

The controversial LGBT bill is a private member’s bill that was presented to Speaker Alban Bagbin on Tuesday, June 29, 2021. It is being spearheaded by 8 MPs.

The proponents want the promotion, advocacy, funding, and acts of homosexuality to be criminalised in the country.

 

Source: Myjoyonline.com

News, Politics

Religious leaders to petition Parliament to drop Lithium agreement

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Religious leaders in the country are planning to petition Parliament to halt Ghana’s lithium agreement with Barari DV Company Limited.

Pressure has been mounting on the government to reconsider the lithium deal following reports that Ghana is being short-changed.

Concerns regarding the potential exploitation of Ghana’s resources and insufficient benefits for the country have fueled public debate and demands for transparency and fairness.

At a roundtable discussion at the Institute of Economic Affairs in Accra on Tuesday, the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana, Reverend Paul Boafo and the Spokesperson of the National Chief Imam, Sheik Aremiyaw said the current deal is not the best for the country and must be renegotiated.

 

 

Sheik Aremiyaw said “The mineral resources of our country do not belong to us alone but they belong to the unborn children. Once the mineral resources of our country are kept and entrusted, those who manage it do not own it.

“They are accountable to society, so for them to engage in any contract there must be a certain engagement where the people are satisfied. We cannot as a nation sit down and let this also go down the drain and let people take it away for us to suffer.”

Similarly, Reverend Boafo stressed the need for a revised agreement that prioritizes Ghana’s interests “I think that what we ought to do is to take this agreement, look at it critically come out with what we [Ghanaians].

 

Source: Citinewsroom.com

News, Topstory

Lithium agreement stinks; drop it now – Prof Gyampo

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Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Prof. Ransford Gyampo has teared apart explanations by some Ghanaians that the mining lease for the exploitation of lithium in Ghana will be of immense benefit to the country.

The political scientist, who is also a native of Mfantsiman where the exploitation is expected to be done, believes the agreement can be amended to increase the stake of Ghanaians rather than rushing its mine in the area.

Advocating a comprehensive policy which will ensure Ghana benefits the most from the natural resources, Prof. Gyampo told host of Inside Politics on TV XYZ that “the lithium agreement stinks and will not help the country.”

His comment comes at a time the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Sam­uel Abu Jinapor has been arguing that the agreement to the current Lithium Mining lease entered into with Barari DV Limited, a subsidiary of Atlantic Lithium Limited to mine Lithium at Ewoyaa in Mfantsiman Municipality of Central Region is a good deal.

He said despite the harsh criticisms, the lease agreement signed under the current arrangement remained the best mineral resource agreement ever entered into by the country.

But Prof. Gyampo disagrees and has vowed that he will lead the youth of Mfantsiman to stop the mining firm from going ahead with its activities in the area if the agreement is not amended to benefit the people.

“When something happens and we have to tackle it as a country, then some people want to politicise it. Look, Johannesburg has a lot to show after mining but Obuasi has virtually nothing to show because in Johannesburg, the people own the mines,” he argued in Akan and emphasised that the agreement should not be business as usual.

He added, “The government has to sit with the people to dialogue. Let us know what we stand to gain; we may be wrong but come and tell us what is in the deal and tell us why you think it is the best deal.”

“If you claim the price of lithium has gone down on the market, know that it won’t be so in perpetuity so why the rush? Once they keep rushing, the more they raise doubts in the minds of the people.”

Asked what will be the next step when Parliament ratifies the agreement against experts’ views, including Ghana’s former Chief Justice, Justice Sophia Akuffo, Prof. Gyampo said the people will resist the mining activities.

“They can go and buy all chiefs and all MPs in Parliament, when they succeed with that and proceed to go and mine the lithium, they will come and meet us in Mfantsiman. They can choose to kill us,” he fumed in Akan.

Clergy Against Agreement

While the debate about the lease swells, Religious leaders in the country are planning to petition Parliament to halt the agreement with Barari DV Company Limited.

At a roundtable discussion at the Institute of Economic Affairs in Accra on Tuesday, the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana, Reverend Paul Boafo and the Spokesperson of the National Chief Imam, Sheik Aremiyaw said the current deal is not the best for the country and must be renegotiated.

Sheik Aremiyaw said “The mineral resources of our country do not belong to us alone but they belong to the unborn children. Once the mineral resources of our country are kept and entrusted, those who manage it do not own it.

“They are accountable to society, so for them to engage in any contract there must be a certain engagement where the people are satisfied. We cannot as a nation sit down and let this also go down the drain and let people take it away for us to suffer.”

Similarly, Reverend Boafo stressed the need for a revised agreement that prioritizes Ghana’s interests “I think that what we ought to do is to take this agreement, look at it critically come out with what we [Ghanaians].

 

Source: Myxyzonline.com

 

News, Politics, Topstory

‘Be the driving force behind Mahama’s campaign’ – Lordina to NDC women

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Former First Lady, Lordina Mahama has charged the women in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to support the campaign of her husband, HE John Mahama, who is the flag bearer of the party to election 2024.

Mrs Mahama noted that the message of the former president to Ghanaians carries hope and must be propagated across the country for all Ghanaians to know.

She made this appeal when she met with NDC women organisers ahead of the campaign season and urged them to unite to be one force to sell the message of the NDC to the people of Ghana.

“Be the driving force behind the Mahama campaign and his message,” she charged the NDC women.

Assuring Ghanaians of a true leader in Mr Mahama, Madam Lordina stated that her husband’s “message, character, and attributes as the Nation Builder, a man with experience, an honest and reliable leader, and a president who will introduce a 24-hour economy to create more jobs must be heard in every corner of the country.”

Mahama’s Tour

The 2024 Presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress, John Dramani Mahama, has been touring some parts of the country to engage with the people as the party puts its manifesto together. Dubbed the ‘Building Ghana Tour’, Mr Mahama has engaged Ghanaians on the best way to govern when given the nod.

After touring the Bono, Ahafo and the Bono East regions, Mr Mahama will tomorrow, 13th December 2023, begin the second-leg of his Building Ghana Tour.

The tour will take him to Western North, Western and Central regions.

The former president is expected to spend two days in the Western North region where he will have various engagements including town hall meetings with party members and various groups such as market women, artisans, mechanics, and miners.

Mr. Mahama will also pay courtesy calls on traditional leaders, during which he will address some critical national issues and explain some of his policy proposals including the 24-hour economy.

On Wednesday, December 13, 2023, the former President, will first meet with party party executives, Members of Parliament from the region, Parliamentary candidates, former party executives and the Council of Elders at Sefwi Wiaswo.

The meeting scheduled to take place at the Rockey’s Conference Hall in the morning will discuss pertinent issues affecting the NDC’s campaign machinery in the region to strategize ahead of the 2024 elections.

On day-one of his visit, he will pay a courtesy call on the Omanhene of the Sefwi Wiawso Traditional area, Katakyie Kwasi Bumangama II before an engagement with students at the Sefwi Wiawso College of Education, dubbed ‘Campus Connect’.

According to his itinerary, Mr Mahama, who shall be accompanied by former Chief of Staff Julius Debrah and some national executives of the party, will also tour the Akontombra, Bodi and Bia constituencies.

His entourage will cross over to the Western region where he will spend two days 16th and 17th December and wrap up the second leg of his visit, which will also solicit complaints to inform NDC’s manifesto in the Central region.

He is expected back in Accra by December 22, 2023.

 

Source: Myxyzonline.com