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PRO for Earl Int’l responds to media reports about ejection of Benjamin Ndanbon

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Recently, it was reported by media outlet, Media Without Borders, that the Public Relations Officer of mining company, Earl International, Ebenezer Bognaab had orchestrated the removal of Benjamin Ndanbon, a representative of Charles Taleog Ndanbon. 

“The company’s plump public relations officer, Ebenezer Bognaab, had sacked him and ordered the men to get him out of the yard after he refused to go home. Benjamin Ndanbon was sacked because his boss, Charles Taleog Ndanbon, dragged Earl International Group Ghana Gold Limited to court over a breach of agreement. Charles had introduced the Chinese company to Talensi in 2008 as a technical-service partner to his Yenyeya Mining Enterprise. The foreign partner was known as Shaanxi Mining Company Limited at the time,” the report stated.

Benjamin Ndandon, is reported to have been bundled out of the premises of Earl International where he was expected to represent the interest of his boss, as part of agreements between the mining company and the small scale miner.

“Benjamin’s role, as Charles’s sole representative, is to witness the gold production process in the yard and keep the records of production he takes on behalf of Yenyeya Mining Enterprise. Bognaab is said to have told Benjamin he was being sacked because it did not make sense to allow him in the yard while Charles was waging a legal battle against the Chinese,” the report added. 

Additionally, Mr. Bognaab was stated to have refused to accept a writ from a bailiff. 

“The first time he went there, he met the public relations officer. Bognaab refused to receive the writ, reportedly telling the court official that the management had instructed its staff not to receive any writ from any court,” the report said. 

Meanwhile, Mr. Bognaab, has described as over dramatised and inaccurate, portions of the media outlet’s report. 

“In the said publication, he makes several claims which are preposterous and not factual. They include but are not limited to: That one Benjamin Ndanbon was forcefully carried or thrown out of the yard of Earl International Group Ghana Gold Ltd by ‘Strong men’ on my instructions as Public Relations Officer of the company. That a High Court bailiff went through some torture before successfully serving writ of summons on the company through me. That the High Court bailiff visited our company premises twice to serve writ of summons. That I refused to see the bailiff on his second visit to the company premises while I sat in an air- conditioned office. That I deliberately refused to accept the writ of summons and acted evasively.”

Mr. Bognaab, stated that “Benjamin Ndanbon was NEVER forcefully or physically thrown out of our company premises, neither did I ever issue such instructions. Mr Ndanbon was only denied access to the company premises based on instructions from top management as a precautionary measure following a fall-out between the company and a partner the young man was representing. On the said date of the visit by Benjamin Ndanbon, my attention was drawn to his challenge in entering the premises. As PRO of the company, I made quick inquiries and then reverted to him via phone (because I was far away) to explain the reasons he was being denied access. It is therefore absurd for a journalist worth his salt to cook and dramatise an incident from the comfort of his office as was there in person.”

The PRO of Earl International additionally stated that the details of serving of the writ, as stated by the media report, was not accurate. 

“The High Court Bailiff arrived in Gban on a single occasion and called me on the phone to meet me. Unfortunately, I was in Accra on the said day. We cordially agreed to meet when I return. This same High Court Bailiff is shocked at Adeti’s narration. Subsequently, a Circuit Court bailiff came over on a completely different matter. He was received in my office in the company of colleague officers and left after a brief interaction. The desire by the reporter to run with hearsay has manifested in how he presented this mix-up in his report. It is completely outrageous to suggest that I have been evasive in receiving writ of summons. As an employee of the company, I act on instructions on matters of the company. I had explained to the bailiffs on each encounter that writs and summons on the company should henceforth be served on our Lawyers or Directors of the company in an address that has been provided to the courts.”

Mr. Bognaab continued to say “The Wednesday September 20 High Court Ruling which formed the basis for the publication equally dismissed an application by Mr Charles Ndanbon for injunction on the operations of Earl International. Strangely, that portion of the court ruling did not find space in the publication.”

Source:A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Bolgatanga

Hospital drug thefts: Head of Pharmacy assisting police with information dies mysteriously

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The Head of the Pharmacy Department of the Upper East Regional Hospital, Samuel Amoateng Saffoh, has died.

Nearly everyone contacted so far on Sunday on the unexpected development is suspecting foul play, saying “he was not sick” and strongly linking it to the recent discovery of massive thefts of government medicines at the hospital by a cartel.

The Upper East Regional Hospital, Bolgatanga.

Saffoh, as the head of the hospital’s pharmacy, was among some top officials of the hospital who were contacted by the police for more information after Media Without Borders’ Edward Adeti uncovered thefts of drugs in tons at the facility this year.

And the veteran pharmacist was still providing more information to state investigators to help get to the bottom of the case when he was suddenly taken ill and died.

Samuel Amoateng Saffoh

The hospital’s authorities confirmed his death to Media Without Borders on Sunday, saying he died on the night of Saturday, 23 September 2023.

The authorities added that he had worked at the hospital for five years.

Following his sudden death, a hospital source disclosed on Sunday that Saffoh had formed an audit team to take stock of all the medicines supplied by the Ministry of Health (MoH) to the regional hospital for the past two years.

The source added that Saffoh recently was digging up “more facts and further traces” and had vowed that all those found culpable would be dealt with.

Samuel Amoateng Saffoh

“He was not sick. He suddenly said he was not feeling well. We thought it was something small. Before we knew it, he was rushed to the ICU (Intensive Care Unit). He was taken to the Tamale Teaching Hospital. And that ended it.

“How can such a strong man just die like that? He has a pharmacy opposite the regional office of the Progressive People’s Party on the Bolga Stadium Road,” another source said.

His distraught colleague pharmacists have expressed shock nationwide, with one saying she spoke to him on the telephone just last night from her workplace in Accra, Ghana’s capital.

The second mysterious death linked to investigation and trial on drug thefts

On Tuesday, 15 August 2023, Mercy Alagpulinsa, a key witness who was expected to testify in court against three members of the hospital’s staff who were arrested in connection with the drug thefts, died mysteriously.

Sources say Alagpulinsa, before her sudden death, had told them that an administrator at a regional directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) whose wife was among the three accused persons had requested to meet with her.

Mercy Alagpulinsa

The sources quoted her to have said the administrator mentioned that he had engaged a lawyer for his accused wife and he would like to coach her as to what to tell the lawyer. She reportedly added that the administrator also requested she join the court case as a witness for his wife.

Checks by Media Without Borders show that Alagpulinsa had some information about the involvement of the wife of the administrator in the drug thefts and that she had strongly expressed her displeasure about the thefts.

The sources believe Alagpulinsa met with the administrator and they suspect she was eliminated not just because of the secret she knew but also because she might have declined the administrator’s request.

The Upper East Regional Hospital.

Alagpulinsa’s closest friend, who was with her on the day she died, told Media Without Borders that Alagpulinsa had visited the administrator around 12:00 pm before she died hours later.

The source said she returned around 1:00 pm, complaining of a severe stomach pain, sweating and vomiting.

And there was foam in every vomit, according to the source.

Health officials at the hospital revealed that Alagpulinsa died with a four-month pregnancy.

And they stated that there was no link between her death and the pregnancy.

Mercy Alagpulinsa

The three hospital workers— Fasilat Raheem, a drug storekeeper, Bridget Banoeyelle, an assistant dispensary officer at the hospital’s pharmacy, and Raymond Asoke, a driver— were arrested in August, 2023.

The police are still investigating to case.

Their arrests came after Media Without Borders led a team of police officers from the Divisional Police Command in Bolgatanga, the region’s capital, to a lonely and near-abandoned building where tons of drugs stolen from the hospital were always kept before they were transported to the Northern Region for sale.

The three hospital workers. From top: Fasilat Raheem, Bridget Banoeyelle and Raymond Asoke.

The three are standing trial at the Circuit Court in Bolgatanga for stealing as well as abetment of stealing and conspiracy.

Thirty-four boxes of government drugs were retrieved from them during their arrests. Police say the accused persons have refused to name those who buy the stolen drugs from them.

The stolen boxes of drugs
Raymond Asoke during the arrest in August, 2023.

Alagpulinsa was buried less than twenty-four hours after her death. The Upper East Regional Police Command is set to exhume her remains to look into the cause of her death.

Samuel Amoateng Saffoh was not just the head of the pharmacy department of the Upper East Regional Hospital. He was also the Upper East Regional Chairman of the Government Hospital Pharmacists Association (GHOSPA).

Source: Media Without Borders/mwbonline.org

Gov’t has excluded us from dev’t by refusing to construct a bridge over the Vea Dam spillway

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Chief of Vea, Naba Thomas Azubire II, along with his residents and members of the adjoining communities in the Bongo district of the Upper East region, lament the government’s alleged deliberate refusal to make any attempt to construct a bridge over the Vea Dam Spillway.

The construction of the Vea dam started in 1965 under the leadership of the former Ghanaian first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, and was completed in 1968. The primary purpose of the dam was to provide water for irrigation to support food production and to empower livelihoods in the region and beyond. Sometime around 1980, the dam became the major source of potable drinking water, supplying approximately one hundred thousand people within the Bolgatanga municipality and the Bongo district.

During a press conference at the Vea Dam spillway area, Chairman of the Vea Homecoming Group, Milton Aberinga, stated that despite the community’s sacrifice of offering over thirty percent of its total land area for the dam’s construction, many people from Vea and its surrounding communities have lost their lives and continue to suffer while attempting to cross the spillway just to earn a living, pursue education, and access proper healthcare.

“Over the years, many people from the community have lost their lives as a result of malaria infections and suicides, while many have continued to suffer various forms of deformities from diseases such as elephantiasis, sickle cell, and other forms of permanent disabilities. As if these were not enough, the government of Ghana has deliberately excluded the affected people economically and socially by refusing to pay heed to the cry of the people for the construction of a bridge over the spillway. Ladies and gentlemen of the media, as you can see on the ground, the evidence is overwhelming as commuters struggle to cross from both sides of the spillway.”

“The traumatize residents in their press statement, extremely worry following what they describe as unthinkable attitude by some authorities towards them in their own way trying to construct the bridge after government failure to do what the enshrined the government to do.”

Mr. Aberinga, who read the statement, mentioned that the Vea Homecoming Group had, over the years, mobilized a substantial amount of money for the construction of the spillway bridge on their own, as the government continuously promised but failed to deliver. Unfortunately, their efforts were met with resistance from the authorities.

 

According to Mr. Aberinga, in 2020, members of the Vea Homecoming Group responsibly mobilized resources to build the bridge. The Group, led by the Chief and the Assembly Member of Vea, approached the Irrigation Company of Upper Region (ICOUR) to inform them of their plans for the bridge’s construction. However, to their dismay, the management of ICOUR warned them against proceeding with any work across the spillway.

Furthermore, in 2020, the Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Attah, during a session of the Meet the Press series in Bolgatanga, declared that no community had the right to construct a bridge. This statement came in response to a question from a journalist regarding the Vea community’s efforts to fund the bridge’s construction.

Most shocking and disappointing to the Chief and residents of the Vea community was the response they received from the Upper East Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, when a delegation from the community visited his office in January 2023 to seek approval for the bridge’s construction using their own resources. According to the Chairman of the group, Mr. Yakubu stated that the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) already possessed the bridge’s design. Therefore, if the community had the funds for construction, they should first provide the money and the design to the RCC. If it met their standards, they would then hire a contractor to carry out the work. The residents described this response as “unfortunate and mocking to the chiefs and people of the affected communities” by the Upper East Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu.

The Chief of Vea, Naba Azubire II, and the Vea Homecoming Group are calling on the government and all relevant authorities to immediately commence the bridge’s construction. Failing this, they have no choice but to construct the bridge according to the standards their resources can meet, starting in January 2024.

The communities perennially affected during the rainy season due to the lack of a bridge over the dam spillway include Vea, Zorkor, Balungo, Lungu, Nyariga, and Gowrie. These residents are forced to pay a minimum of Ghc. 5.00 for a canoe ride to cross. Mr. Aberinga, while addressing the press, emphasized that if the government fails to commence construction before January 2024, his group, the Chief, and all the affected communities will vehemently resist any attempt by any group or institution to disrupt the project’s execution, which is crucial for their well-being and survival, as they have done in the past when their pleas went unanswered.

Source: A1Radioonline.Com|101.1MHZ|David Azure |Vea Community|

USAID project to address malnutrition in Northern Ghana ends

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A project known as USAID Advancing Nutrition Ghana has successfully concluded its activities in some 55 Metropolitan, Municipal, and District assemblies of the Upper East, Upper West, North East, and Northern regions. The 3-year project aimed to improve nutrition outcomes among vulnerable populations, particularly women and children, through evidence-based interventions. 

The project worked closely with local organisations and government agencies to implement a range of activities to support nutrition interventions in line with Ghana’s national nutrition and development planning policy and USAID multi sectoral nutrition strategy. 

Maureen Malave, Nutrition and Social Protection Team Lead at the United States Agency for International Development in Ghana expressed worry that the nutritional status of children under five in Ghana remains a concern despite the progress the country has made in the area of health over the past decades. 

Regardless, she said the project has made some significant gains to improve the rate of stunting and wasting through training health workers on nutrition screening and counselling, promoting exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices, supporting nutrient-rich foods to pregnant women and children, and raising awareness about the importance of a balanced diet.

“Over 250,000 children nationwide including 46,000 children under five in the Upper East and 120,000 women nationwide, 24,000 women in the Upper East were reached with nutrition services such as monthly growth monitoring and promotion through our support to the Ghana Health Service. More than 5,000 health workers nationwide and 1500 in the Upper East were trained in nutrition service delivery including promoting infant and young child feeding anaemia prevention and control and community management of acute malnutrition”

Ms. Malave said the project also worked with the National Developments and Planning Commission to develop guidelines for food and nutrition security and trained staff at regional and district levels on these guidelines for them to incorporate food and nutrition security into their Medium-Term Development Plans.

“Specifically, we provided technical and logistical support to 17 districts in northern Ghana in developing those plans, these 17 districts now have increased food focus on food and nutrition security issues with the number of nutrition-related activities increasing from 48 in the last Medium Term Development Plan to 141 in the current one”, she indicated.

Ms. Malave who made these disclosures during a regional closeout learning event for the Upper East Region, held at Bolgatanga, said the United States is committed to supporting nutrition activities in Ghana which will now continue through the resilience in northern Ghana or RING II project.

 The stakeholder engagement to take stock of the implementation of the USAID Advancing Nutrition Ghana project was under the theme “Deepening the Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Agenda: The USAID Advancing Nutrition Story”.

The project also supported women in beneficiary communities to establish Village Savings and Loans Associations (VLSAs) to improve household food and nutrition security by making them financially independent. In the Upper East Region, Garu, Tempane, Bawku West districts, and the Bawku Municipality were covered in the project. 

Stephen Yakubu, the Upper East Regional Minister who officially closed the project in the region commended USAID Ghana Mission for the interventions in the region.

“As we celebrate the successes, let us be mindful of the challenges and work together to sustain the gains made by USAID Advancing Nutrition and all other interventions in our respective areas of jurisdiction”

According to the minister, the formation of the District Nutrition Coordination Committees (DNCCs) and the efforts made to integrate them into the District and Regional Planning Coordinating Units meetings “has improved the working relations among the staff of the District Health Management Teams and the MMDAs” 

Pascal Dongzuing, Deputy Director of Administration at the Upper East Regional Health Directorate on behalf of the incoming Regional Health Director said malnutrition in the region has been a challenge to which the USAID Advancing Nutrition Ghana has contributed immensely in the area.

“It is worth mentioning that through the support of the project, all pregnant women have the maternal and child health record books in the four districts of the project operation. This has tremendously improved service delivery and documentation. There has also been an improvement in staff capacity to render quality nutritional service to clients”

Naba Baba Salifu Lemyaarum Atamale, the Paramount Chief for the Bongo Traditional Area who chaired the program thanked USAID, the government of Ghana for the significant contributions to reducing malnutrition and its related cases in the Upper East Region.

Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Bolgatanga|Ghana

I need your vote to secure a place in the grand finale- GMB Aduanige appeals

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The Upper East Region’s representative of the 2023 Ghana Most Beautiful (GMB), Aduanige, has appealed to the people in the Region and the Diaspora to vote for her to enable her secure a place in the grand finale and have the opportunity to shine on the stage.

According to her, “by voting for me, you become an integral part of my journey. Your vote will not only boost my chances of reaching the grand finale but also give me the confidence and motivation to perform at my best. Your support will be a testament to the belief you have in me and my abilities”.

“I  am thrilled to be participating in this prestigious beauty contest, and I am reaching out to you today to ask for your support. With your vote, I can secure my place in the grand finale and have the opportunity to shine on the stage”, she added.

She noted that, as a contestant, she puts in countless hours of hard work, dedication, and preparation to showcase her unique beauty and talent.

Aduanige emphasizes that this contest is not just about physical appearance but also about confidence, poise, and charisma, and she believes she possesses all these qualities and more, making her a deserving candidate for the finale.

She assured that “I promise to represent not only myself but also the good people of the upper east region and all those who have supported me throughout this journey. If given the opportunity, I will use this platform to promote positivity, self-acceptance, and empowerment. I want to inspire others to embrace their unique beauty and pursue their dreams fearlessly.”

“So, I humbly request your vote. Together, we can make a difference and create an unforgettable grand finale. Your vote will not only help me shine but also contribute to the success of this beauty contest”, she appealed.

She called on  people in the Upper East Region and the Diaspora to keep voting for her by dialing *713*13# or downloading the TV3 Reality app and following prompts to vote.

Source:A1radioonline.Com|101.1MHz|Gilbert Azeem Tiroog|Bolgatanga

Invest in Agriculture in Nabdam -Agric Director calls on NGOs

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The Nabdam District Director of the Department of Agriculture, Rasheed Imoro, has called on Non-Governmental Organizations,(NGOs), philanthropists, and well-meaning individuals to invest in agriculture in the Nabdam District of the Upper East Region.

According to him, the District, with its agriculture-friendly vast land, has the potential to cultivate soya beans, maize, and sorghum, among other crops, to contribute greatly to the country`s food basket and ensure food security, given the needed support.

He noted that the land was fertile, but the continuous use of traditional seeds and outmoded farming methods has denied farmers good yields over the years.

This, he recounted, then makes it important for their capacities to be built.

Mr Imoro was speaking to farmers at Sakoti about the Sustainable Soyabean Production in Northern Ghana (SSPiNG) Project being implemented by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in partnership with Yara Ghana and Excellence in Agronomy.

Using demonstration farms, the farmers were taken through maize-soya intercropping which showcased how both the maize crop and the soyabeans were beneficial to each other in boosting yield.

The project is aimed at building the capacities of farmers to enable them to adopt the strategy of intercropping by ensuring proper site selection, adequate land preparation, ploughing, selection of certified seeds and using sowing techniques, among others.

It also offered farmers the opportunity to learn about the handling, storage, and application of inoculant and yara fertilizer to increase soyabean grain and maize yield.

Sakoran Zanbok Kom, the Tidan (land owner) of the Sakoti Traditional Area, said he was inspired by the innovation and appealed for the continuation of the project to build the capacity of farmars.

“I am particularly enthused by this innovation; if I was told that there will be a land that can make these great yields in Sakoti here, I would have doubted because the same land that maize was cropping a single one is now cropping two, some three, and even bigger than our own”. He stated

“It is my appeal that this project continues to build the capacities of farmers to ensure food security and empower farmers financially”. He added


Mr. Tenga George, a farmer, thanked the project implementers and sponsors, adding it was an eye-opener and, when continued, would be very beneficial to farmers in the Nabdam District.

A total of eight communities, including Sakoti, Nangodi, and Zanlerig-Gane, among others, benefited from the project.

Source:A1radioonline.Com|101.1MHz|Gilbert Azeem Tiroog

Nabdam: Farmers urged to adopt intercropping to improve yields

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The Nabdam District Director of the Department of Agriculture, Rasheed Imoro, has called on farmers to adopt intercropping using improved seeds to increase yields and ensure food security.

According to him, the adoption of intercropping and the use of modern technology by farmers would not only curtail food insecurity but would also empower them financially.

“It is time we move away from the traditional way of farming, and with the variety of seeds we have in Ghana, we can do better because we have the potential, our lands are fertile, and all we need to do is change our attitude and adopt modern technology“, he stated

Mr. Imoro noted that the continued growing of traditional crops using outmoded farming methods is not only depriving farmers good yields, despite the hard work they put in but also makes them financially unstable to even acquire farm inputs to help them on their farms due to low yields.

With the combination of improved panea maize and favour soya beans, using within-row method of sowing, he said farmers are assured of a bumper harvest with the right application of inoculant or NPK.

He revealed this when he was speaking to farmers at Sakoti about the Sustainable Soyabean Production in Northern Ghana (SSPiNG) Project being implemented by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) with support from Yara Ghana and Excellence in Agronomy.

Through demonstrations, the farmers were taken through maize-soya intercropping, which resulted in some of the maize cropping about two to three in one single plant.

The project is aimed at building the capacities of farmers to enable them to adopt the strategy of intercropping by ensuring proper site selection, adequate land preparation, plowing, the selection of certified seeds, and sowing techniques, among others, to improve food security.

He called on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), philanthropists, and well-meaning individuals to invest in agriculture in the area, adding that the land is fertile and has the potential to cultivate soya beans, maize, and sorghum to contribute greatly to the country`s food basket and ensure food security, given the needed support.

Sakoran Zanbok Kom, the Tidan (land owner) of the Sakoti Traditional Area, expressed his gratitude to the organizations, adding he was inspired by the innovation and appealed for the continuation of the project to boost the capacity of farmers to ensure food security.

Source:A1radioonline.Com|101.1MHz|Gilbert Azeem Tiroog|Sakoti

Unity and sacrifice pays—Youth of Zopelig-Daborin asserts

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The youth Association of Zopelig-Daborin in the Nabdam District of the Upper East Region have asserted that unity and sacrifice among youth groups bring a greater reward.

This is after the youth have mobilized their own resources to construct a major bridge in the area that links various communities to ease movement.

The bridge links communities, such as Dagliga, Zanlerigu, and Kongo, among others.

With the construction of the bridge, school children and motorists who faced difficulties crossing the bridge, especially during a heavy downpour, would now do so with ease.

In an interview earlier with Talim Christopher, a teacher and Petron of the Association after the completion of the project,  he said several appeals to the District Assembly and the Member of Parliament for the Constituency proved futile.

This, he told A1 News,  compelled them to stand up to the realities affecting their community and extensively to other communities.

He revealed that materials, including cement, iron rods, and chips, among others, used for the construction were estimated to cost them over GH¢40,000.He said workers, including Masons, Carpenters, and steel burners, among others, who were all hired from the community, offered their services free of charge as their contribution to the development of the community, while the youth also offered communal labor support.

Mr. Telim noted that, though it was the government’s responsibility for the construction of roads and bridges, the needed support was not forthcoming, and it was important that communities make a deliberate effort to carry out some of the projects they could in their capacity.

“We are all aware that some of these projects fall under the government’s responsibility, but in a situation like ours where we had difficulty crossing to other communities to even access health care and schools and the government was not forthcoming, we needed to stand up for ourselves.”

“I will particularly appeal to the government to be proactive in addressing some of these issues because they border on the lives and livelihoods of most people, and even in an emergency situation concerning health, it becomes a major challenge”.

He indicated that the Zopelig-Daborin community was yet to be connected to the national grid since time immemorial, despite the mounting of electric poles, which disadvantaged the community in so many ways.

He appealed to the government to connect the community to the national grid as its share of the national cake to enable the community to also rip some of the benefits electricity comes with, as enjoyed by other equally privileged citizens.

Source:A1radioonline.Com|101.1MHz|Gilbert Azeem Tiroog|Zopelig-Daborin

Jean Mensa has a warped understanding of her functions as EC Chairperson- Convener of Justice for Ghana

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The convener of Justice for Ghana, a pressure group, Dramani Selorm Dzramado, has made the claim that the chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Adukwei Meansa, has a warped understanding of the functions of the Electoral Commission stipulated in the Constitution of Ghana.

According to him “It has become glaringly clear to the public that the lawyer, Jean Mensa, doesn’t have a thorough understanding of some of the legal principles she has been schooled in while having her law studies”.

He made this claim when he spoke on A1 Radio`s Daybreak Upper East show on the sidelines of the pressure group`s sit-in at the office of the Electoral Commission on Friday, September 22, 2023, in demand for the commission`s compliance with Article 45E of the constitution.

Sit-in is a type of manifestation embarked on by citizens to show their dissatisfaction and displeasure with happenings.

Mr. Dzramado said the  group has seen the need to inculcate in the chairperson the constitutional principles to enable her to start complying with the provisions.

He said ”this is so important and critical to deepening the country’s democracy that is under attack  by an autocratic leader using democratic institutions to kill democracy”.

The convener emphasized that the sit-in is to drive home the demand for the EC to comply with Article 45E of the constitution, which mandates the EC to undertake programmes for the expansion of the voter`s register, which it does not have the liberty or latitude to do otherwise.

Source:A1radioonline.Com|101.1MHz|Gilbert Azeem Tiroog |Bolgatanga

Your duty is not to put incumbrances in our electoral processes- Dr. Ashante to EC

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A political analyst, Dr. Jonathan Asante Otchere, has indicated that it is not the duty of the Electoral Commission (EC) to restrict the limited voter registration exercise to its District and Municipal offices.

According to him, the Electoral Commission, which is the administrative body of the country`s electoral processes, is required by law to ensure it provides a conducive environment for people who have attained the age of 18 and above to be granted the opportunity to register and exercise their franchise.

Dr. Ashanti asserted that, apart from this shortcoming of the EC, its decision has also presented a financial burden to the teaming registrants who had to travel from their localities to the EC`s offices.He said the EC’s neglect of the concerns of ordinary Ghanaians and opposition political parties has the propensity of undermining the very democratic principles upon which the Commission is established.

He emphasized that the restriction of the exercise has given undue advantage to political parties with resources to transport people to registration centers, which has the tendency to influence their voting patterns, and this has put the country`s electoral processes on the altar of the highest bidder.

This, he observed, coupled with the decision by the Supreme Court to rule on the law suit filed against the Electoral commission after the exercise had been completed, is a dent in the country`s democracy.

Source:A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Gilbert Azeem Tiroog|Bolgatanga

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