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We can’t sanction #FixTheCountry demo due to public gathering restrictions – Police

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Ghana Police Service

The Greater Accra Regional Police Command says it cannot sanction the proposed #FixTheCountry protest as it goes against the ban on public gatherings.

A group of Ghanaians who are unhappy with what they call the economic challenges in the country have declared their intention to protest on May 9, 2021.

The group has been expressing its displeasure over the failure of successive governments to improve the living standards of Ghanaians on Twitter using the hashtag #FixTheCountry.

They cited ‘dumsor’, unemployment and poor healthcare systems as proof of successive governments’ mismanagement of the country.

The group said it does not intend to deliver a petition to the presidency but will converge on Independence Square at 8:30 am for the march to commence at 9:30 am.

“The march will proceed peacefully and at a socially distanced pace from the Blackstar Independence Square Station,” the group further indicated in a statement.

But the Public Relations Officer of the Greater Accra Regional Police Command, DSP Effia Tenge, on Eyewitness News, said “the Police cannot sanction such illegality.”

“The Command received a letter of notification on Tuesday afternoon of an intended demonstration slated for the 9th of this month. The Regional Command met the convener, who was accompanied by one other person. We told them that we understand their standpoint but then, there [are restrictions] on public gatherings, as such, the Command may not be able to provide the necessary security for the proposed demonstration.”

“However, they may come back when the restrictions are lifted,” she added.

She warned that if the group goes contrary to their recommendation, they will face the rigours of the law.

#FixTheCountry has been in the social media trends for about 48 hours.

It was initially started by some young persons on Twitter, but some celebrities later joined the campaign to hold the government accountable.

An online petition which was launched to support the cause has gathered over 2,000 signatures so.

Source: citifmonline.com

GJA Elections: Filing of nominations ends

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Filing of nominations for various executive positions for the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) ended by close of work on Tuesday May 4, 2021.

Those who filed for the presidency are: Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor of Atinka Media Village, Mr Gayheart Mensah, a Media Consultant and Mr Dave Agbenu of the New Times Corporation.

Mrs Linda Asante-Agyei of the Ghana News Agency (GNA), filed for the position of Vice President, while Mrs Audrey Dekalu, also of the GNA, filed for the position of Treasurer.

Others are: Mr Kofi Yeboah-General Secretary, Mr Akwasi Agyeman of the Multimedia Group-General Secretary, Ms Mary Mensah of the Graphic Communications Group Limited-Organising Secretary, Mr Dominic Hlordze of GBC, Organising Secretary and Mrs Rebecca Ekpe of GBC, and Caesar Abagali of Ghana News Agency, both for Public Affairs Officer .

Mr Peter Agbeko, a member and Secretary of the GJA Elections Committee, received the nomination forms on behalf of the Committee and wished the aspirants good luck, while entreating them to prepare for vetting.

Nominations for the elections commenced on Tuesday April 13, 2021.
The candidates promised to conduct their campaigns peacefully and transform the fortunes of the Association if voted into office.

Aspirants for regional positions also filed nominations in regions across the country.
Source: GNA

Gayheart Mensah files nomination to contest GJA Presidency

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Gayheart Mensah, a media practitioner of 33 years standing, has filed his nomination to contest for the Presidency of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA).

Mr. Mensah was nominated by the National Media Commission (NMC) to serve on the Board of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC).

He was an Adjunct Lecturer in Advance Journalism and also Development Journalism at the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ).

Gayheart served indication that his motivation to contest for the GJA presidency is driven by a “mission to restore GJA to its rightful place in the development agenda of Ghana”.

Whilst he believes that the current executives have done their best, he sees a lot more growth and potential for the GJA, in what he calls “the next phase of the association”.

He characterized that next phase as one under the acronym ‘POWER’, representing Professionalism, Organization, Welfare of members, Empowerment and Respect for the journalism profession.

“We need to move our level of professionalism an octave higher through training and other capacity building solutions initiated by the GJA in partnership with like-minded institutions; we ought to get better with how we organize and deploy ourselves; we must show more concern for the welfare of members; we should look to empower this association to become the Fourth Estate of the Realm in practical terms, not just perfunctorily, and we must restore respect, credibility and integrity to our profession”. These, he said, constitute the “mission to restore GJA to its rightful place”.

Gayheart pointed out that ‘POWER’, which he intends to expand on subsequently, will constitute the pillars of his message as he goes round the country to canvas for the votes of GJA members.

He has already received massive endorsements on his trips to the nine traditional regional capitals, excluding the Greater Accra Region. The rave reviews he received occasioned some vile propaganda against him by the other aspirants.

Gayheart worked with the Ghanaian Times, and the Daily Graphic and was the Acting Editor of the “Evening News” some 21 years ago.

He has worked as Presidential Correspondent, Parliamentary Correspondent, Court Corespondent, and Assistant to the Features Editor for “Graphic”.

He was one of the pioneering staff of the “Graphic Showbiz”, where he was News Coordinator, a pioneering member of the GTV Breakfast Show in the 90s, which was then the only TV breakfast show in the country, and also a pioneering member of Joy FM’s flagship programme, News File.

Source: citinews

Osafo Maafo-led committee submits final report on 2020 election to NPP leadership

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The Osafo-Maafo-led 2020 Elections Review Committee has presented its final report to the leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The Committee, which was set up by the NPP to review its performance in the 2020 general elections, presented the report on Tuesday, May 4, 2021, at the party’s national secretariat in Accra.

Presenting the report on behalf of the 9-member committee, its Chairman, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, explained the rigorous processes the committee went through in coming out with what he described as a ‘Comprehensive Report’.

According to him, the committee had engaged all the relevant stakeholders of the party across the 275 constituencies of the country pursuant to its mandate.

 

John Boadu, the NPP General Secretary, who received the report on behalf of the party, commended the members of the Review Committee for doing an excellent job and gave them an assurance that the party would religiously peruse the report and take the necessary steps to implement the recommendations therein, some of which may require constitutional amendments.

The party’s chief scribe also disclosed that following the presentation of the report, the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) would meet sometime next week to, among other things, officially adopt the report, which is expected to guide the operations of the party in the short to medium term.

 

The Review Committee was set up by the party’s National Executive Committee to make an honest and impartial inquiry into the facts and circumstances of the party’s participation and performance in the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections, and to produce a comprehensive report with far-reaching implementable recommendations to improve the political and electoral fortunes of the party.

The Committee, which was inaugurated on December 14, 2020, by the NPP General Secretary, comprised Yaw Osafo-Maafo (Chairman), Mrs. Ama Frimpomaa Dwomoh (Secretary), Papa Owusu Ankomah (Member), Madam Elizabeth Ohene (Member).

Other members included Mr. Fred Oware (Member), Mr. Awal Mohammed (Member), Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey (Member), Mrs. Salamatu Forgor (Member), and Kwame Osei Prempeh (Member).

Source: Citinewsroom.com

Moses Apiah of A1 Radio amongst 17 authors in Ghana shortlisted by Ama Ata Aidoo Centre for Creative Writing

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Moses Apiah, a reporter with the Agreed Best Communications Limited, A1 Radio, in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region is among seventeen authors nationwide that have been shortlisted for the forthcoming “Lockdown” anthology organized by Ama Ata Aidoo Centre for Creative Writing at the African University College of Communications, Accra.

The Ama Ata Aidoo Center for Creative Writing is a non-profit literary resource during the wake of the coronavirus pandemic invited writers across the country to submit their original experiences in the form of short stories for an anthology from March to December 2020.

The Center later received 136 entries out of which seventeen authors were shortlisted.

The lucky authors who made the cut are Ijahra Larry, Lawrence Owusu, Benjamin Arthur, Philomena Esi Agudu, and Jane Abraham. Others are Samantha Erskine, Etor Attopley, Emmanuella Obeng-Koranteng, Frederick Nii Ofei Bruce, Emmanuella Ako-Nai, and Abaa Moses Apiah.

The rest are Ohene-Agyekum Mmreku, Grace Wood, Miho Boateng, Araba Ofori-Acquah, Franka Andoh, and Renee P. Taylor.

Lockdown is the Aidoo Centre’s third anthology in three years following the previous years’ successful release and limited local tour of “Adabraka: Stories from the Centre of the World” and “Larabanga: Stories from the Savannah”.

The Aidoo Centre however scheduled to publish “Lockdown: True COVID-19 Stories” and launch it at the University’s Discovery House forecourt in Adabraka this August.

The main aim of the Centre is to increase in Ghana critical reading, creative writing, and literacy generally among the youth.

Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1 MHz|Ghana

Student allegedly shot by police near Techiman battles for his life

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A second-year senior high school student is battling for his life after he was allegedly shot at close range by some police officers at Krobo near Techiman in the Bono East Region.

Obeng Emmanuel, 18, has been on oxygen at the Holy Family Hospital to aid his breathing as he sustained a gunshot wound on the chest.

According to the police, they received a call at 12: 05 am on Sunday telling them that some police personnel had gunned down an individual at Krobo and has been rushed to the hospital.

Upon arrival at the Holy Family Hospital, the Deputy Regional Commander with other officers met Emmanuel Obeng at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) being attended to by a medical team.

The team also met one Owusu Samuel together with some relatives of the victim.

The police noted from their investigations they got to know that both Constable Owusu Mensah Dominic Amankona who were on motorbike patrols were attacked and pelted with stones upon reaching Krobo.

In an attempt to defend themselves and escape, they fired warning shots which resulted in Emmanuel Obeng being hit on the shoulder.

But a relative of the victim is disputing the claim by the police.

According to him, no one pelted the police officers with as the cops are claiming.

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Ahmed Suale murder: We’re not happy with ongoing investigations – Family

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Ahmed Suale

The family of late investigative journalist, Ahmed Hussein Suale, has said they are unhappy with the delay in ongoing investigations into the murder of their relative.

According to Mustapha Iddrisu, a brother of the deceased, the police have failed to provide proper updates on the level investigations conducted into the case, two years after the gruesome killing.

“The investigations so far as the family is concerned has not been what we are expecting. We’re not even sure whether the police are actually doing conducting investigations or they are doing anything about it,” he told JoyNews.

Ahmed Hussein Suale, who was with the Tiger Eye Private Investigations, was murdered by an unknown assailant in his vehicle on January 16, 2019, at Madina.

He was part of a team of undercover journalists led by renowned investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas.

He was shot three times, twice in the chest and another in the neck late Wednesday night at Madina in Accra while he was driving home by unidentified men.

The murder came shortly after the Number-12 documentary was released. It also came after the Assin Central MP on live TV incited the public to launch attacks on the journalist.

It has since remained unresolved though government promised to remain resolute in seeking justice for Mr Suale.

The family, speaking to JoyNews’ Joseph Ackah-Blay bemoaned the delay, stating that, no arrests have been made, “no one has been charged or prosecuted for the crime after over two years.”

“The police are not giving us any update, sometimes we have to chase them for information and when you go there, the information they give to you about a year ago is the same information they are giving back to you,” he added.

They added that efforts of the family in seeking justice have also been compromised since suspects that were handed over to the police by the family have all been let off the hook.

They are, therefore, calling on authorities to speed up investigations, adding that the family will not relent on it efforts to seeking justice for the deceased.

“We are not going to be happy with whatever they [Police] tell us until they tell us that the people who committed the crime have been found.

“I don’t think it is a matter that we can put behind us. We will continue to ask for the perpetrators of Ahmed Suale’s murder.”

Source: Joynews

 

#FixTheCountry: We can’t guarantee that protestors will adhere to Covid-19 protocols – Police

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The Ghana Police Service says it cannot shepherd the planned demonstration organised by the #FixTheCountry movement on May 9.

According to them, the assembly goes against the ban on public gatherings currently in place as part of measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Some unhappy Ghanaians mostly made up of the youth earlier notified the police of their intent to embark on a demonstration following an uproar on social media.

The protest is to vent their spleens over what they describe as a failure on the part of successive governments to improve the lives of the citizenry.

In the letter signed by 20 individuals, they explained that the date, May 9, was selected to capture the restless spirit of the over 126 Ghanaians who lost their lives some 20 years ago at the Accra Sports Stadium due to the “institutionalized incompetence and disregard for Ghanaian lives.”

As well as to commemorate the 26th Anniversary of the anti-government Kume Preko Demonstration of May 11, 1995 which was championed by President Akufo-Addo, Charles Wereko-Brobby, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, Akoto Ampaw and Napoleon Abdulai.

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However, the Head of the Public Affairs Unit of Accra Regional Police Command says the imposition of restrictions means the demonstration has to be halted and has communicated same in a written letter in response.

“The police will not be able to provide the necessary security looking at the spread of Covid-19 and the kind of dangers that it poses to members of the public should they attend this demonstration,” DSP Effia Tenge said on Joy FM.

Speaking on Top Story, DSP Tenge explained that her outfit will seek a court order to back its stance if the agitated youth decide to defy the directive to embark on what she believes is a potential super-spreader.

Despite the detailed plan enumerated by the protestors in line with Covid-19 protocols, the police say “there is no way that we can be able to guarantee for a fact that such a large demonstrating public” will adhere to such a plan.

Meanwhile, conveners of the protest say are disappointed by the development.

One of them, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, told Evan Mensah that they will use dialogue to remind the police as to why they cannot be cowered while pledging to act in conformity with the constitution.

What is #FixTheCountry?

#FixTheCountryNow has been topping twitter trends for the past 48 hours.

Social media users, largely the youth, in their posts have been highlighting some of these inadequacies.

Despite efforts by government including the Nation Builders’ Corp (NABCO), National Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Plan (NEIP) and other commitments towards investing in the growing human capital, some Twitter users say the impact is not felt on the ground.

Dominant in the sentiments shared on Twitter are rising youth unemployment, dilapidated health system, skyrocketing home-renting structure, poor road networks among others.

Source: Joynews

GJA Elections: Five file to contest for regional positions in Upper East Region

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Affail Monney, GJA President

At the close of nominations on Tuesday May 4, 2021 for national and regional elections of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), five aspirants had filed to contest for four regional positions in the Upper East Region.

Chairperson of the Regional GJC Elections Committee, Hannah Zemp-Tapang at the close of nominations confirmed to A1Radioonline.com that three positions have only one candidate each submitting their nomination forms to contest.

The positions and their aspirants are; Vice Chairperson, Fatima Anafo-Astanga of the Ghana News Agency, Regional Secretary, Albert Sore of Multimedia and Treasurer, Joshua Asaah of A1 Radio.

Article 48 (d) i) of the GJA’s 2004 constitution states: “Where at the close of nominations only one candidate stands nominated, that candidate shall be declared elected by the Elections Committee.”

Per this constitutional provision, the aforementioned candidates are likely going to be on their way to becoming regional executives of the GJA in the Upper East Region.

Meanwhile, there will however be a keen contest between the General Manager of A1 Radio, William Nlanjerbor Jalulah and Isaac Asare of GBC URA Radio. Both have filed to contest for the regional chairmanship position.

Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Ghana

Transport fares expected to go up by between 10 to 15% this Thursday – GPRTU

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The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has disclosed that fares are expected to go up by between 10 to 15 per cent by this Thursday.

According to the Union, they are currently in discussions with government and are hopeful of finalising negotiations by Wednesday for the new fares to be announced possibly on May 6, 2021.

Why the increase?

The propose increase has been influenced by adjustments in price of petroleum products by some of the major oil marketing companies.

This was after Shell and Total have increased their prices by a little over 12 per cent, with a litre of diesel and petrol selling at ¢6.13. Another major player, Allied is selling a litre for ¢6.10.

According to the Association of Oil Marketing Companies, the prices are going up because its members are just applying the 0.30 pesewas on the price buildup of petroleum products as announced in the budget and the 0.17 pesewas introduced by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).

GPRTU and Transport fares going up

The General Secretary of the GPRTU, Godfred Abulbire, noted that they are hopeful finalising negotiations with government on May 5, 2021, for the announcement to be made immediately after the meeting.

Mr Abulbire added that the Union is optimistic that government will accept their proposals, citing current economic conditions and rising cost of operations for the various Transport unions in the country.

“We should also realised that we are not just looking at fuel prices but other cost components that have been increased recently,” he added.

Asked whether a 15 per cent adjustment in transport fares will be enough to deal with their issues, the General Secretary responded that they believe it’s okay for now to help slip.

He also disclosed that they have put in place measures to ensure that all members comply by the new prices that they will be announced on Thursday, May 6.

It is, however, not clear right now, whether the announcement by the Energy Minister, Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh, that government has reduced 17 pesewas introduced by the National Petroleum Authority on fuel prices will impact transport fares negotiations.

Source: Joynews

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