FEBRUARY 8

spread_ FEBRUARY 8, 2019.qxp_SHOWBIZ TEMP 2/7/19 8:49 PM Page 1
News
DAILY
HERITAGE, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2019 WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH
AWW violence was NPP’s grand
plan for 2020 – Asiedu Nketia
THE GENERAL Secretary of the opposition
National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr
Johnson Asiedu Nketia says the violence that
characterised the by-election in Ayawaso West
Wuogon was the governing New Patriotic
Party’s (NPP) grand strategy for the 2020
elections.
Speaking at the ‘Aagbe wor’ demonstration
yesterday, the NDC chief scribe said: “They
are implementing their campaign promise and
that campaign promise is to unleash violence
and through violence cow everybody down…
for them to impose themselves on Ghanaians
and do whatever they want to do.”
“The leopard will not lose his spot because
it has been immersed in water. The spots are
still there. The all-die-be-die spots are still
there,” Mr Nketia said.
Voters in the Ayawaso West Wuogon
constituency in Accra on January 31 went to
the poll to elect a Member of Parliament (MP)
for the area in a by-election necessitated by the
demise of the incumbent MP Emmanuel
Agyarko.
Agyarko’s widow Lydia Seyram Alhassan
won the election which was marred by
violence leading to the shooting of six persons
believed to be supporters of the NDC.
The NDC withdrew from the election
citing security concerns.
Akufo-Addo responsible for violence
The Minority in Parliament blamed
President Nana Akufo-Addo for the chaos
that characterized the by-election.
Minority MP for Ningo Prampram Sam
George who was monitoring the election for
the NDC was brutally battered by an
individual believed to be a member of one of
the terror groups affiliated to the governing
NPP.
The Minority Chief Whip Muntaka
Mubarak told reporters in Accra on Tuesday
President Akufo-Addo cannot absolve himself
from the violence-laden by-election.
He said it was the minority’s strongest
conviction the violence was state-orchestrated
saying, “The Minority holds president Nana
Akufo-Addo as commander in chief and
chairman of the National security council fully
responsible for the 31st January 2019
bloodbath.”
Three-member committee to probe
violence
The National Commission for Civic
Education warned the violent nature of the
by-election was dangerous signs ahead of the
2020 general election.
“It will be extremely difficult for us as a
nation to quench a fire of national violent
unrest once it gets started.”
Meanwhile, the government has set up a
three-member commission chaired by a
former boss of the Commission on Human
Rights and Administrative Justice, Mr Emile
Short to within a month unravel circumstances
leading to the violence.
Other members of the presidential
commission are Mrs Henrietta Mensah Bonsu
and Mr Patrick K. Acheampong.
They have been mandated to: “(a) to make
a full, faithful and impartial inquiry into the
•Johnson Asiedu Nketia,
General Secretary, NDC
circumstances of, and establish the facts
leading to, the events and associated violence
during the Ayawaso West Wuogon By-
Election on the 31st day of January 2019; (b)
to identify any person responsible for or who
has been involved in the events, associated
violence and injuries; (c) to inquire into any
matter which the Commission considers
incidental or reasonably related to the causes
of the events and the associated violence and
injuries; and (d) to submit within one month
its report to the President giving reasons for
its findings and recommendations, including
appropriate sanctions, if any.”
Meanwhile, a criminologist has called for
the review of the terms of reference of the
commission.
Dr Justice Tankebe said the scope of
investigation of the commission must be
expanded to cover other areas of operation of
the police.
“I hope that the mandate given the
Commission is changed a little bit. The first
one should be an investigation into what
happened at Ayawaso. The kind of security
architecture we have can be the second
mandate of the Commission,” Dr Tankebe
told sit-in host Eric Mawuenya Egbeta.
“The Minority holds
president Nana
Akufo-Addo as
commander in chief
and chairman of the
National security
council fully
responsible for the
31st January 2019
bloodbath.”
Gborbu Wulomo lauds Akufo-Addo,
others over peaceful Yaa Naa installation
BY MUNTALLA INUSAH
muntalla.inusah@dailyheritage.com
THE GBORBU
Wulomo Shitse, Wor-
Lumor Konor
Borketey Larweh
Tsuru has lauded
President Nana Addo
Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the
committee of eminent chiefs and
the people of Dagbon for their
respective roles in ensuring the
peaceful installation of the new Yaa-
Naa of Dagbon.
According to him, the manner
the “about 17 years of conflict in
Dagbon” was put to rest is one that
deserve commendation of all who
played a part.
In a statement issued through his
communications directorates, he
said the conflict “has indeed been
brought to an end by your
exemplary leadership and
intervention.”
It added that, “Your focus and
resolve to attain this has really paid
off. The Gborbu Wulomo Shitse, on
behalf of the entire Gadangme
State says Ayekoo!”
Below is the full statement:
The Gborbu Wulomo Shitse,
Wor-Lumor Konor Borketey
Larweh Tsuru wishes to
congratulate you, Nana Addo
Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the
yeoman’s job done to bring peace
to Dagbon.
The about seventeen years of
conflict in Dagbon has indeed
been brought to an end by your
exemplary leadership and
intervention. Your focus and
resolve to attain this has really
paid off.
The Gborbu Wulomo Shitse,
on behalf of the entire
Gadangme State says Ayekoo! The
excellent work done by the
Committee of Eminent Chiefs led
by the Asantehene Otumfour
Osei Tutu II mustalso be
celebrated by all.
Indeed; ‘It is only Royals who
can speak for Royals, because it is
only Royals who understand the
language of the Royals’ – this is
what the Committee of Eminent
Chiefs has proven.
The Gborbu Wulomo Shitse
will therefore seek this
opportunity to also congratulate
the members of the committee,
including,the Asantehene, Otumfuo
Osei Tutu II, Yagbonwura,
Tuntumba Boresa Sulemana Jakpa I
and Nayiri, Naa Bohogu
Abdulai Mahami Sherigafor
for this wonderful work
done.
The joy and numerous
compliments being expressed
by the people of Dagbon are
enough to exhibit the depth
of peace and tranquility that
the conflict resolution in the
area has brought to the
people.
Dagbon has been in crisis
since 2002 and this retarded
development in the area for
a very long time as no
proper development can go
on in areas fraught with
violence.
As a leader and father of
the nation, your vision and
plans for the people will not
be achieved in the midst of
conflict and clashes, so your
move, backed by passion and
purpose to attain peace can
only be commended and
commemorated for many
years to come.
It is worth noticing that
this fate could not have been
chalked up without the cooperation
of the sons and daughters of
Speaker walks out Suhuyini from Parliament over rude behavior
THE MEMBER of
Parliament (MP) for
Tamale North,
Alhassan Suhuyini, on
Wednesday, had a
taste of the powers of
the Speaker of Parliament when he
was ordered out of the Chamber
while proceedings were ongoing.
His crime was disrupting
proceedings by intermittently
making noise even when the
Speaker was addressing the House.
The Marshall, who is always
positioned in the Chamber to
ensure that the Speaker’s directives
of such manner are enforced,
quickly walked to where Mr
Suhuyini was seated and ensured
that he moved out of the Chamber.
Mr Suhuyini, who did not
protest, walked out amidst shouting
on top of his voice to display his
unhappiness about the sanctions.
The First Deputy Speaker, Hon.
Joseph Osei Owusu, who presided
over yesterday’s sitting had on a
number of occasions cautioned
Members to minimise their voice
•Alhassan Suhuyini
was ushered out by
the Marshall
and also comport themselves while
a Member is on his or her feet
contributing to the subject before
the House or while he himself is
commenting on an issue or making
his ruling on a matter before him.
To drum home his message of
not tolerating indiscipline in the
House, Hon. Osei Owusu at a
•Wor-Lumor Konor
Borketey Larweh
Tsuru, Gborbu
Wulomo Shitse
point, shouted on the MP for Assin
Central, Kennedy Agyepong, who
was heartily chatting with one of his
colleagues to be attentive while
proceedings was ongoing.
The House was considering an
application brought before it by the
Second Deputy Majority Whip,
Matthew Nyindam, appealing to the
Speaker to compel the Minority
Caucus to apologise for displaying
placards that had the inscription
‘Bloody Widow’ in protest over the
swearing-in of the newly elected
MP for Ayawaso West Wuogon,
Lydia Seyram Alhassan.
While the Speaker had ruled that
the Minority apologise over their
action yesterday, a ruling which was
challenged by the leadership of the
National Democratic Congress
MPs, Mr Suhuyini was heard
shouting on top of his voice and in
the process, interrupting
proceedings.
It was not the first time he was
doing that as his earlier interjections
were ignored by the Speaker just
like any other Member who was
spotted to be doing same.
Suhuyini’s reaction
Mr Suhuyini, reacting to his
ordeal said “Liberty is always taken
and sometimes blood would have to
be shared if you stand for what is
liberating and all my life I have
stood for what is in my view bias,
what is unfair and I don’t mind
Dagbon. The Gborbu Wulomo
Shitse, on this note also commends
the people of Dagbon, especially,
the chiefs, queenmothers and
opinion leaders who sacrificed their
pride, ego and priesthood to
embrace peace and to ensure truce
in Dagbon.
The reward will be enjoyed from
this generation to many generations
yet unborn for a developed Dagbon
State. To the New Overlord of
Dagbon, Yaa Naa Abubakari
Mahama, the Gborbu Wulomo says
he welcomeshim as the former joins
the league of Overlords in the
Republic of Ghana.
It is his prayer that God grants
the new Yaa Naa the wisdom to
lead and energy to bring his vision
for the people of Dagbon to
fruition. The Shitse will also like to
seize this opportunity to implore
fellow Ghanaians living in areas
bedeviled by such protracted
chieftaincy disputes to take clues
from the Dagbon example and give
peace a space.
‘Royalty will always belong to
Royals and Royals are of noble
character devoid of strife, conflict
and discord’.
dying for that and asking me to
walk is less than being killed for
what I believe in.”
To him, he was given a raw deal
by the Speaker since he was singled
out for sanctions despite many
others doing same.
He said “it is high time as a
people we all recognise what is
wrong and encourage all not to
engage in it. But when we begin to
pick and choose – when our side is
wrong, then we find all kinds of
platitudes to defend it and enlighten
the effect of it only to right what
we consider is wrong of others and
make them appear more devilish
than they really see.
“I don’t have a problem with
that. I don’t have a problem with
our members being referred to the
Privileges Committee. But like I said
we all know what the Members who
are calling for justice now are doing
on the Privileges Committee as far
as Kennedy Agyepong case is
concerned, which is worse. Well,
why not asking why the report has
still not come?”
Ministers must pay
tolls – Roads Minister
ROADS MINISTER Kwasi
Amoako-Atta has charged
road toll collectors across
the country to ensure they
take tolls from every
Minister of State and other
ranking individuals.
According to him, there
are only a few categories of
organisations which are by
law exempted from paying
tolls, such as Fire Service,
Ambulance Service, Police,
Security Agencies and the
diplomatic corps.
He added that apart from
these all other categories of
organisations and individuals
are supposed to pay the
appropriate toll when they
get to the tollbooth.
According to him, he’s
received several reports that
some government officials
and other high ranking
individuals because of the
positions they occupy refuse
to pay road toll whenever it
is demanded of them, a
situation he said would no
longer be countenanced.
“We have also
experienced that some
people pass through the
tollbooth without paying the
appropriate tolls, they tell
the collectors in the booth
that I’m so so and so and
they allow them to pass
through. All the tollbooth
collectors have been
instructed by my ministry
that apart from the
aforementioned
organisations, every single
individual no matter who
you are in Ghana, you are
supposed to pay the
appropriate toll when you
get to any tollbooth across
the country. If you’re a
managing director you are
supposed to pay, if you are a
minister you are supposed to
•Tollbooth
pay,” he stated.
He added: “By the grace
of God and by the grace of
His Excellency the
President, I am privileged to
be the Minister of Roads for
now, you can verify from my
driver anywhere across the
country I pay the toll, it will
not make sense for me and
leadership is by example to
get to a tollbooth and tell
them I am the Roads
Minister.
Pay the tolls, leadership is
by example and the law does
not exempt the road
minister from paying
appropriate toll anywhere in
the country. The most
important thing is the law
and not me. All my deputy
Ministers and Directors pay
the appropriate tolls
everywhere.” The toughtalking
minister told the
media.
“We have also
experienced that
some people
pass through
the tollbooth
without paying
the appropriate
tolls, they tell
the collectors in
the booth that
I’m so so and so
and they allow
them to pass
through.