DAILY HERITAGE JULY 9, 2020

Inside JULY 9, 2020.qxp_Layout 1 7/8/20 8:46 PM Page 1

DIGITAL NO. 100900 THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2020

DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH

Alleged

associate of

Osafo Maafo

granted

p2

GHc1.4M bail

•Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyeman, NDC running mate

• John Dramani Mahama, NDC Flag bearer

JM’s choice

of Prof.

Page 3

Opoku-Agyeman

heartwarming

• African women lawyers

Covid-19:

•Chief Justice, Kwesi Anin-Yeboah

CJ embarks

on 14-day

self-isolation

Santeo

p6

• Nana Adjei Ntow, Spokesperson

of the Santeo residents

residents

to sue TDC

• The disputed land being developed

visit us: @dailyheritagegh dailyheritage


02 CONTENT

DAILY QUOTE

Failure is the condiment that

gives success its flavor

--Truman Capote

ANNIVERSARIES

25 Dec, Christmas Day

26 Dec, Boxing Day

1 Jan, New Year

DAILY HERITAGE THURSDAY , JULY 9, 2020

Published by: EIB

Network / Heritage

Communications Ltd.

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VOL 7

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Alleged associate of Osafo

Maafo granted GHc1.4M bail

BY MUNTALLA INUSAH

muntalla.inusah@dailyheritage.com.gh

THE CIRCUIT

Court in Accra

presided over by

Mr Emmanuel

Essandoh has

granted bail in

the sum of GHc1.4 million to

one Mohammed Aminu Bonkanu,

who has defrauded one Alhaji Fuseini

Suleiman to the tune of over

GHc1.3 million..

Bonkanu, charged with four

counts of defrauding and money

laundering, is said to have received

various sums from his victim

on the pretence that it would

be given to the Senior Minister

Yaw Osafo Maafo to facilitate his

appointment as the Director-General

(D-G) of Ghana Ports and

Harbour Authority (GPHA).

As part of the bail conditions,

he is to produce four sureties who

must be civil servants earning not

less than GHc2000. He is also to

report to the police every

Wednesday at 10 a.m.

The court, in granting him bail,

also ordered him to submit his

passport to its registrar.

This was after his lawyer, Victor

Kodjogah Adawudu, made an

oral bail application for him.

The bail application, even

though was opposed by the prosecution

led by Assistant Superintendant

of Police (ASP) Sylvester

Asare, was granted.

The accused pleaded not guilty

to the offence before being

granted bail

Brief facts

Brief facts of the case as presented

to the court by ASP Asare

were that the complainant is a retired

Civil Engineer and the former

General Manager of Ghana

Ports and Harbours Authority

(GPHA).

The accused person, he said, is

a resident of Sapeiman, a suburb

of Accra.

According to him, in March

2020, complainant reported to the

police that Bonkanu had demanded

and received cash total of

USD132, 000 (GHc726, 000) and

50, 000 Euros (GHc531, 150) on

the pretence of giving same to

Osafo Maafo to facilitate his appointment

as the D-G of GPHA.

The prosecutor said on receipt

of the complaint, the then suspect

was arrested, interrogated and investigation

caution statement obtained

from him.

ASP Asare said preliminary investigations

revealed that sometime

in the year 2017, the accused

introduced himself as National

Security Operative (NSO) to complainant.

According to him, due to the

nature of his job as an NSO, he

(now accused) could connect

businessmen to high profile personalities

in government, including

Osafo Maafo , the Senior

Minister, for appointments and

promotion of businesses.

The prosecutor told the court

that the accused further indicated

that he could lead the complainant

to the Senior Minister to

assist the complainant secure appointment

as the D-G of GPHA

and also to acquire a licence for

complainant to do oil marketing.

He told the court that in his

quest to defraud complainant, the

accused mentioned government

officials, including 2nd Lady Mrs

Samira Bawumia, Minister of Foreign

Affairs and Regional Integration,

Mrs Shirley Ayorkor

Botchway, and Member of Parliament

for Dome Kwabenya, Sarah

Adwoa Safo, as his associates.

The prosecutor told the court

that the accused told the complainant

that he had discussed the

complainant’s appointment as D-

G of GPHA and the acquisition

of oil marketing licence with the

purported Mr Osafo Maafo.

“Additionally, accused informed

complainant to expect a

message on WhatsApp or SMS

from Yaw Osafo Maafo. Subsequently,

complainant received

WhatsApp messages purported to

be from Osafo Maafo. The authors

of those messages confirmed

to complainant that

accused had discussed complainant’s

desire to be appointed

as D-G of GPHA and the acquisition

of oil marketing licence.

“The purported senior minister,

in a WhatsApp chat, agreed to

facilitate complainant's appointment

as D-G of GPHA and facilitate

the acquisition of the oil

marketing licence. Thus, the purported

senior minister demanded

various sums of monies from

complainant through WhatsApp

chats to facilitate the appointment

of complainant,” he told the

court.

He added that, “The said senior

minister instructed complainant

through WhatsApp chats

to hand over all monies for the facilitation

to the accused person as

his trusted agent. Thus accused

person followed up, demanded

and received various sums of

money for the purported senior

minister.”

He said investigations had it

that between 2017 and 2018, accused

person demanded and received

the various sums for the

purported Osafo Maafo.

Covid-19:

CJ embarks on 14-day self-isolation

BY MUNTALLA INUSAH


THE CHIEF Justice (CJ),

Kwesi Anin-Yeboah, is on a 14-

day self-isolation upon advice

of his doctors, the Judicial Secretary

(JS), Cynthia Pamela

Addo, has announced.

A statement signed by JS

said the 14-day self-isolation is

in compliance with Covid-19

protocols.

The CJ, during the period,

will be working from the Chief

Justice’s Official Residence at

Cantonment, Accra.

The statement, however,

failed to mention if the Chief

Justice has come into contact

with any COVID-19 infected

person.

The statement comes days

after President Nana Addo

Dankwa Akufo-Addo also embarked

on similar self-isolation

after the Senior Minister tested

positive for Covid-19.

Supreme Court suspends

cases

The Supreme Court has also

suspended all cases billed to be

heard this week over Covid-19

fears.

The move comes in the

wake of rumours that some

judges of the Superior Courts

have tested for the virus and

are currently in mandatory isolation.

Checks by DAILY HER-

ITAGE at the apex court revealed

that all 16 cases

scheduled for the week, which

commenced Tuesday, July 1,

2020, had been adjourned.

The apex court was expected

to deal with nine cases

from Tuesday to Thursday but

all the cases had been adjourned.

The Judicial Service will

commence its Legal Vacation

from August 1, 2020, and resume

in October 2020.

Court of Appeal

judge dies

In a related development, a

Justice of the Court of Appeal,

Justice Paul Gyaesayor, has died

after complaining of ill-health

on Tuesday.

The experienced Judge, who

reported for work, according to

sources at the Judicial Service,

complained of ill-health and

went home.

But, he died shortly after he

left the office to the house. The

sources noted the death of the

judge had nothing to do with

Covid-19.

The statement

comes days after

President Nana

Addo Dankwa Akufo-

Addo also embarked

on similar self-isolation

after the Senior

Minister tested positive

for Covid-19.



JM’s choice of Prof.

Opoku-Agyeman

heartwarming

NEWS DESK REPORT

• African women lawyers

THE

AFRICAN

Women

Lawyers

Association

(AWLA)

has extended its congratulatory

message to Professor

Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang

on her nomination as

the running mate to flag

bearer of the National

Democratic Congress

(NDC), John Dramani Mahama.

The AWLA described her

nomination and subsequent

acceptance of the former

Minister of Education as

heartwarming.

• John Dramani Mahama, NDC Flag bearer

•Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyeman, NDC running mate

The Association, in a statement

signed by its Executive

Director, Edna Kuma, said,

“The African Women Lawyers

Association (AWLA) wishes to

congratulate Professor Naana

Jane Opoku Agyeman on her

nomination and acceptance as

the Vice-Presidential Candidate

of the NDC.

“Indeed, her nomination

and acceptance of this respectable

position is heartwarming

news to AWLA,

which prides its role in the

forefront of gender advocacy

and empowerment and has always

stood for the inclusion of

women at the highest level of

decision-making, especially in

politics. Women’s participation

in politics helps advance gender

equality and impacts positively

on the development and implementation

of a range of policy

prescriptions.

“It is in this light that AWLA

welcomes this nomination and

also sends its best wishes to the

Professor. It is our hope that

she will embrace this opportunity

and deliver on her roles

and responsibilities as Vice -

Presidential Candidate as she

has shown in other areas of her

professional and political life.

This will, indeed, set the pace

for a monumental increase in

the rate of women representation

in politics in Ghana, Africa

and beyond,” the Executive Director

noted.

I’II help you win

Former President Mahama

on Monday, July 6, 2020,

named former Education Minister,

Prof. Opoku Agyeman, as

his running mate for the 2020

polls after the National Executive

Committee of the party

unanimously approved her

nomination.

In her acceptance speech,

she said she would help her

boss secure victory in the December

polls.

“It is with deep honour and

a high sense of gratitude that I

convey my acceptance of the

nomination by H.E. John Dramani

Mahama, Flag bearer and

Leader of the great National

Democratic Congress (NDC)

to be his Running Mate for the

December 7, 2020 election.

”I am humbled by the overwhelming

endorsement my

nomination has received from

the Founder of the NDC, H.E.

Jerry John Rawlings, the Council

of Elders, the National Executive

Committee and the

rank and file of our party, as

well as the general public.

“This historic nomination is

not a personal achievement but

victory for inclusive and participatory

democracy, which enhances

the credentials of our

country and recognizes the

towering role women have

played over the ages to achieve

the progress we have made. I

wish to salute all those who

have come before me and

pledge to draw deeply from

their inspiration”.

“I have worked with HE

John Dramani Mahama closely

and I know he is a man of vision,

a leader you can trust, a

public servant of integrity and

a courageous leader who makes

the right decisions in the national

interest at all times. I

pledge to diligently apply myself

and dedicate all the energy

and intellect I can muster to ensure

a resounding victory for

the NDC and for our country,

Ghana. So help me God”.

This is the first time any of

the two major political parties

is going into an election with a

woman on the presidential

ticket.


•Indian cobras are among the species

which kill most people each year

'More than one million' died of snake bites in India

AN ESTIMATED 1.2 million

people have died from snake bites

in India in the past 20 years, a

new study has found.

Nearly half of the victims

were between 30 and 69 years

old, and a quarter of them were

children, the study says.

Russell's vipers, kraits and cobras

were responsible for most

deaths. The remaining deaths

were caused by at least 12 other

species of snakes.

So many of the attacks proved

fatal because they happened in

areas without swift access to

medical care.

Half of the deaths occurred

in the monsoon season between

June and September, when snakes

are known to come out. And

most victims were bitten in the

legs.

The study, published in the

open access journal eLife, was

conducted by leading Indian and

international experts. It's based

on data collected from India's

ambitious Million Death Study.

BBC


WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH

World news in 4 stories

Burkina Faso: 180 bodies

found in 'killing field'

AT LEAST 180 bodies

have been found

in mass graves in

northern Burkina

Faso where soldiers

are fighting jihadists,

a Human Rights Watch

(HRW) report says.

"Available evidence suggests

government forces were involved

in mass extrajudicial executions,"

HRW says.

Over seven months, the bodies

had been dumped near the town of

Djibo in groups of up to 20, before

being buried by local residents.

Burkina Faso's defence minister

suggested militants might be to

blame.

"It is difficult for the population

to distinguish between armed terrorist

groups and the defence and

security forces," Chérif Moumina

Sy told the campaign group in response

to the findings.

But the minister said the government

would investigate the allegations.

•Soldiers have been fighting jihadists in the north since 2016

Burkina Faso, a landlocked

country in West Africa, has been

fighting Islamist insurgents with

ties to al-Qaeda and the Islamic

State group since 2016.

Corinne Dufka, Sahel director at

HRW, said Djibo had been turned

into a "killing field".

The campaign group said the

government should seek assistance

from the UN and others to conduct

proper exhumations, return

the remains to families and hold

those responsible to account.BBC

•FBI Director Christopher Wray

FBI director: China is

'greatest threat' to US

THE DIRECTOR of the

FBI has said that acts of espionage

and theft by China's

government pose the "greatest

long-term threat" to the

future of the US.

Speaking to the Hudson

Institute in Washington,

Christopher Wray described

a multi-pronged disruption

campaign.

He said China had begun

targeting Chinese nationals

living abroad, coercing their

return, and was working to

compromise US coronavirus

research.

"The stakes could not be

higher," Mr Wray said.

"China is engaged in a

whole-of-state effort to become

the world's only superpower

by any means

necessary," he added.

The Hong Kong crisis

and the new world order

In a nearly hour-long

speech on Tuesday, the FBI

director outlined a stark picture

of Chinese interference,

a far-reaching campaign of

economic espionage, data

and monetary theft and illegal

political activities, using

bribery and blackmail to influence

US policy. BBC

Coronavirus: Belgrade protesters storm Serb Parliament over curfew

POLICE AND protesters have

been hurt in riots that broke out

outside the National Assembly in

the Serbian capital Belgrade.

The protests began peacefully

on Tuesday evening and included

students and families, angered by a

decision to re-impose a weekend

curfew because of a rise in coronavirus

infections.

Protesters broke into the assembly,

prompting police to intervene.

Clashes erupted and police

fired tear gas to disperse the protesters.

• The protests started peacefully but clashes erupted after police

managed to clear the assembly

Far-right nationalists have been

blamed for stirring up the unrest

and storming the assembly building.

Serbian media said they included

an MP who has pushed

anti-vaccine and anti-5G conspiracy

theories.

On Tuesday, Serbia saw its

deadliest day so far in the pandemic.

President Vucic announced

in a televised address that there

had been 13 further deaths and

120 people were on ventilators,

with 4,000 people being treated in

hospital.

The situation was most alarming

in Belgrade, he said, before imposing

a ban on gatherings of

more than five people from

Wednesday, with a curfew in force

from 18:00 local time (16:00

GMT) on Friday until 05:00 on

Monday morning. For now, the

curfew will apply only to the capital,

but Mr Vucic is keen for it to

be extended nationally.

Serbia has seen a dramatic rise

in cases and authorities have announced

a state of emergency in

several towns and cities.BBC




Let’s prioritise emergency healthcare

LAST MONDAY, July 6, 2020, we

published a lead story with the headline

‘Abandoned to die.’ It was about a

24-year-old man who was involved in

a road accident in 2014, but has since

not been able to secure the necessary

healthcare. He is paralysed in addition

to having his buttocks and bones

close by rotting.

Mr Bless Faasemkye said his current

situation is as a result of lack of

the funds to foot his medical bills.

He made an appeal for financial assistance,

first for GHc2,150 to pay for

an MRI and CT scan at the Korle-Bu

Teaching Hospital for the doctors to

determine the problem before the

right treatment can begin.

Mr Faasemkye’s plight has exposed

a shortfall in our healthcare system

that needs to be looked at because it

is critical in saving precious lives. The

shortfall is the absence of a state fund

or arrangement to make it easy for

people who need emergency healthcare

to receive it and save their lives

before they could be made to pay all,

part of or forgiven all the expenses,

depending on the patients’ financial

strength.

So many precious lives have been

lost in this country without anyone,

except some family members, caring

about the harm having been done to

the departed souls. The situation appears

normal to all of us such that we

make no effort to turn things around.

In Ghana, healthcare is paid for by

the patient himself or family members

or friends, if the patient is economically

incapable of footing the

bills. Some blessed ones get their employers

absorbing their medical bills

or a philanthropist doing so for him.

The third option is the national health

insurance scheme, which applies to a

few ailments but ignores serious conditions

like Faasemkye’s condition.

The fourth source is an appeal to the

public which elicits sympathy more

than the financial assistance needed.

For instance, the public sympathy

for Faasemkye has been great since

the story was reviewed on radio and

television but at the time of going to

press only one public-spirited person

had sent in GHc100 through the mobile

money number 0249109545,

which was put out for receiving donations.

This picture tells how difficult it is

to solicit public financial support for

individual patients, especially people

who are not public figures.

This is why we should learn from

places like the US, where there is a

publicly-arranged scheme for emergency

treatment. There are also foundations

and some voluntary

associations who receive appeals and

help even non-members.

It is time for the powers that be to

use Faasemkye’s case to change the

healthcare narrative. The truth is that

certain conditions get worse before

help comes or they needlessly take

lives, which lives could have been

saved if the patients had been given

emergency treatment.

The other truth is that because we

are mostly doing cash-and-carry treatment,

the healthcare professionals at

the treatment centre like the hospitals

cannot do otherwise except to succumb

to that policy and painfully look

on when life is wasting away.

There is therefore the need to prioritise

emergency treatment for patients,

no matter who they are because

every life is precious.

Santeo residents to sue TDC

BY MUNTALLA INUSAH


RESIDENTS OF

Santeo, which is

within the Kpone-

Katamanso Municipality

of the

Greater Accra Region,

are up in arms against the

Tema Development Cooperation

(TDC) over the alleged illegal

takeover and encroachment on

lands earmarked for schools, hospitals

and a cemetery.

The angry residents, who held

banners amidst singing and drumming

while protesting along the

areas where the lands were being

encroached upon, directed their

anger at the Managing Director of

the TDC, Madam Alice William

Kousoh, and a Chinese company

developing the lands.

Nana Adjei Ntow, the

Spokesperson for the residents,

told journalists the TDC had sold

their lands meant for a school, a

park and a cemetery to an investor,

and that they would not

allow the development to happen.

According to him, they are

going to take a legal action at the

High Court against the TDC and

the said Chinese company which

bought the land.

“They have ejected us. We are

calling for justice. We will sue

TDC and the Chinese people who

are developing the project. When

we saw that people are developing

our lands, the leadership and the

chief here peacefully approached

them but they TDC used force

and intimidation and we feel

threatened,” Mr Ntow noted.

Security intimidation

He expressed grave concern

over the manner in which the

TDC had deployed both the police

and soldiers to the area to

guard the workers developing on

the land.

According to him, even though

they have reported the matter to

the various security authorities,

nothing has since been done. He

said for the past six months they

had been living in fear and intimation.

He alleged further that people’s

houses were demolished without

any discussion with them.

Mr Ntow explained further

that such an illegal activity was becoming

unbecoming and that the

time had come for them to stand

up for their rights.

It is said the house owners are

also alleging that the developer is

using the police and the soldier to

guard the land.

They are therefore calling on

the President Nana Addo Dankwa

Akufo-Addo and the First Lady, a

native of the Dangme community,

to come to their aid and prevent

TDC and its staff from selling the

over 50 acres of lands meant for

development projects.

“These are lands meant to expand

our school. This is the only

school we have here and it was

even built by us. Now, the land reserved

to expand it and also to

build a hospital as agreed upon by

all has now been taken over,” the

residents complained.

Poor roads

The assembly member of Santeo,

Mr Samuel Abbey, expressed

worry about the poor road network

in the area. He called on the

government and the road minister

•Residents demonstrating against TDC at Santeo

to ensure that their poor roads

had been constructed before

politicians could come there to

campaign.

It was his case that the water

situation in the area was poor and

called on the government to come

to their aid.

Efforts to reach authorities at

TDC to response to the concerns

of the residents were unsuccessful

as of the time of going to press.


06

Views


Coronavirus has ruthlessly exposed our

collective incompetence for all to see

BY CAMERON DUODU

IN A previous article, I used

an ancient Akan metaphor

to describe the nature of

the devastation that the

Covid-19 pandemic is

wreaking on our nation.

I said it was like a ‘kurotwiamansa’

[leopard] lurking along the

pathways of human habitation,

pouncing on people unawares and

gobbling them up.

‘Oda Amansan kon mu’!, I

added for good measure. This

means it has ‘draped itself around

the necks of the entire people of

a nation’.

Think of that – it means that

Covid-19 can catch the young and

the old alike; the rich and the indigent;

the powerful and the powerless;

the brilliant as well as the

boneheads.

And in reality, if you look

closely at the type of people that

have been forced to make the acquaintance

of Covid-19 in our

country, you can see how true it is

to liken the pandemic to the vile

and ruthless omnivore, the leopard.

Covid-19 attack

ministers

Most important of all was our

Minister of Health. He’d been

soldiering on, under the glare of

the television lights, telling everyone

how his Ministry had got the

measure of the disease and was

working hard to save the nation

from the claws of the evil beast.

Next thing we knew –

the beast caught him!

Then it caught ‘Napo’ – one

of the most brilliant members of

our Cabinet and as a doctor himself,

a personage who should

know the nature of the beast

even better than the Minister of

Health.

We also heard from the Ghana

Medical Association that other

doctors had been got; and from

an open letter by health workers

that they were working in abject

fear of their lives.

Then came news that the former

General Secretary of the ruling

New Patriotic Party, ‘Sir John’

[KwadwoAfriyie], had succumbed

to the disease. Was there no hallowed

ground where this

kurotwiamansa rascally fellow

would not dare to tread? It

seemed there was not!

Pre-plan for 2020

election

Yet, politicians of both parties

were carrying out their preplanned

2020 election agenda as

if nothing disastrous was happening

in the country. Nomination of

would-be MPs – went on as

usual! I heard one of those mindnumbing

“discussions” on the

radio. What were the party

spokespersons worried about?

The possibility that “the other

party” was busing people from

constituency to constituency to

be registered! I didn't hear a word

about fears that Covid-19 would

attack the people who would ignore

the official guidelines and

rush to vie with one another in

getting registered. What? Nomination

to some of the most lucrative

jobs in the country with the

tête-à-têtes that would be required,

going on as if conditions

were normal? Think of the the

caucuses that would be taking

place; the late night visits; the involuntary

hugs and handshakes;

the passing of bundles of cash

from one person to the next!

Yes. It shows that we are not

serious in this country. You live in

a world in which the country that

has used technology to send people

to the moon and bring them

back to earth is in danger of exposing

100,000 people to be infected

per day because of this

kurotwiamansa, and you – with

your lack of resources – also

carry on political activity as usual?

But (we are told) South Korea

did hold an election in April

2020, didn’t it? And yet isn’t

South Korea one of the countries

least affected by Covid-19?

Comparing Ghana to

South Korea

Ahah! Comparing Ghana to

South Korea is like comparing apples

with not oranges, but stones!

Which South Korean official, let

alone a Deputy Minister, would

release himself from quarantine,

knowing he had tested positive

for Covid-19, and drive around

election registration centres, to

ensure that his would-be supporters

would register in deed to vote

for him? Even if he wanted to do

that, would the South Korean police

allow him to?

You see, the South Koreans

have a culture that is voluntarily

submissive to higher authority.

Ahah! Comparing Ghana to South Korea is like comparing apples

with not oranges, but stones! Which South Korean official,

let alone a Deputy Minister, would release himself from

quarantine, knowing he had tested positive for Covid-19, and

drive around election registration centres, to ensure that his

would-be supporters would register in deed to vote for him?

Even if he wanted to do that, would the South Korean police

allow him to?

They also have the technological

know-how to be able to photograph

people en masse in the

streets, apartments and workplaces,

for the purpose of checking

the movements of huge

swathes of the population.

And – believe it – they have an

enormous digital database that

can cross-reference citizens’

recorded information with their

current whereabouts and what

they are up to. Above all, they

have the means of checking the

temperatures and state of health

of citizens on the hop, as they

enter shops or other public

places. Plus loads of testing apparatus

and quick dissemination of

test results.

Ghana has not tested

even 1%

And what of us? Out of a

population of 30 million, we

haven’t even managed to test

more than one per cent to see

whether they’ve got the virus or

not. (The number of ‘ROUTINE

SURVEILLANCE TESTS’ carried

out, as at 29 June 2020, was

under 110,000, whilst ‘contact

tracing tests’ had been carried out

on 191,888 persons, bringing the

total number of tested persons to

300,520. That works out to only

1/100th (one percent) of our

population having been tested.)

Yet we’ve had the confidence

to carry out registration of voters

– a complicated exercise that will

put millions of Ghanaians in

close physical proximity with one

another. Simultaneously, we’ve

also opened almost all our nonjunior

schools.

Who decides that we can do

all this? A Ministry of Health led

by a Minister who has himself

got caught by Covid-19?

An administration that cannot

even guarantee that the important

Ministers of Health and of Education,

would be provided with

handlers and personal assistants

who would keep an eagle’s eye on

them and ensure that they adhere

strictly to anti-Covid protocols at

all times?

Teachers have nothing

to say

What are headteachers to say

when they read that the Minister

of Education who

has sent them so

many guidelines, has

himself caught and

recovered from

Covid-19? What

about assistant

head-teachers think?

Registrars and assistant

registrars? Senior

teachers? Junior

teachers? School

workers? The students

themselves?

To be perfectly

honest, I shuddered

when I saw that the

President had been

allowed to go to the

public places where

voter registration was taking

place. I am afraid that such a decision

should not be left to the

President. His personal detail

should assess the risks he takes

and veto any movements that are

deemed unnecessary. Did they do

this? If so, why has he put himself

in self-seclusion?

President Kwame Nkrumah

did not enjoy wearing a bulletproof

vest under his Maoist

jacket. But he was obliged to use

one. And thereby lies a tale.

As for the Deputy Minister

who has had to resign because he

admitted going out to visit voter

registration centres in his Tema

constituency, despite knowing

that he had tested positive for

Covid-19, the least said about him

the better.

But the episode involving him

must not be allowed to be swept

under the carpet. My advice to

the President is this: please, when

selecting Ministers and Deputy

Ministers, do not only consider

whether they can ‘deliver’ their

constituencies for the party at

election time or not, but do also

thoroughly investigate their intellectual

capabilities. Are they fit to

be put in charge of their fellow

citizens? it should be ascertained.

‘Animguasem mfata Okanniba!’

[The Akan-born person

does not allow disgrace/embarrassment

to come near him!] is

another gem from the Ancient

Folks! I recommend it to all people

who may themselves be people

of probity, but who end up

appointing to serve them people

who have never heard the word

probity or observe its tenets because

they [the people] ignoring

them [tenets].


Some safety protocols for Covid-19

• Stay at home, observe

• Wash your hands often

• Cover your cough or

• Always wear a mask,

• Avoid touching your

social distancing and

with soap and water for at

sneeze with a tissue and

particularly when leaving

eyes, nose and mouth

avoid handshaking

least 20 seconds

disposed immediately

home



&Env.

How coronavirus has altered

the social structure of Ghana

BY DAVID DZIRASAH, CONTRIBUTOR

ACCORDING TO Light

and Keller (1975), Social

structure is the orderly

patterned ways that individuals

or groups of

people relate to each

other in a society or one of its parts.

The social structure of Ghana encompasses

roles, statuses, social networks,

social institutions, and groups. Social

structure is not fixed and absolute, but

emerges out of the process of interaction

between and among people.

This relationship among people is

characterized by social ordering. To ensure

peace and order most times a definite

pattern is created to foster this

interaction. Covid-19 (Coronavirus)

which is a large group of viruses that

are common among animals. In rare

cases, it is what scientists call zoonotic,

meaning it can be transmitted from animals

to humans. It can be spread when

someone comes into contact with an infected

person's cough and sneezes. On

16th March, President Nana Addo Danquah

declared that schools be closed,

banned social gatherings like church,

festivals, political rallies when Ghana

recorded two cases of Covid-19. These

measures taken as a result of the Covid-

19 have altered the social structure of

Ghana in so many ways.

Distorting the

academic calendar

In education, closure of schools nationwide

has affected over 1.2 billion

learners globally who are mainly children

and youth. The Covid19 pandemic

has changed the lives of large numbers

of students, teachers and parents in

Ghana, with millions now teaching and

learning remotely from home.

The Coronavirus has distorted the

academic calendar of schools which has

brought about confusion and stress on

the part of teachers and students. Although,

there have been steps to continue

learning for students even though

schools are closed through online learning

platforms and the rolling out of lessons

broadcast on Ghana Learning

Television (GLTV), many students do

not have access to the internet especially

those in remote areas.

Quality is a very important part of

education service delivery that has become

more difficult to ensure in this

Covid-19 times. Many teachers in Ghana

lack appropriate teacher training for distance

and remote learning. As a result of

this form of learning online, many

teachers are not able to assess learner

understanding of the topics being

taught. Again, there is an increased vulnerability

for female learners because

they might face sexual violence and

teenage pregnancy which are due to

school closures.

In terms of socio-economic aspect,

Ghana is an import driven economy and

as a result of border closures, international

trade has been disrupted. Disruption

in the global supply chain with

significant supply shortages and a slowdown

in investments and remittances resulting

in job losses.

Demand in oil prices

There has been in decline in oil demand

leading to a decrease in oil prices

and a cut in revenue for oil-exporting

countries like Ghana. Again, a decline in

tourism and international travel, resulting

in job losses. There has also been an

unanticipated increase in health expenditure

leading to additional borrowing

and related expenses being incurred

which increase the country's debt risk.

On the individual level too, many people

are incurring losses and slow businesses,

for example restaurants and supermarkets

are not having high patronage because

of the fear of contracting

Covid-19.

On the transport aspect also, drivers

and car owners are not earning much

due to social distancing being enforced

in cars. Parents are also suffering to

cater for the family because of children

staying at home every day due to school

closures. On the social aspect, social

functions are not as they used to be because

of Covid-19. Ghanaians like to

dance and chat happily among themselves

at functions but are restricted due

to social distancing practiced at social

functions like marriages and funerals.

The number of people who usually attend

these functions has reduced due to

this pandemic.

Religion

In religion, Ghana is a very religious

country with the majority of the population

being Christians. The Covid-

19 pandemic has altered the program

outline of many religious activities in

various ways, including the cancellation

of the worship services of various

faiths, the closure of Sunday Schools, as

well as the cancellation of pilgrimages

surrounding observances and festivals.

Many churches, synagogues, mosques,

and temples have offered worship

through livestream amidst the pandemic.

Relief wings of religious organizations

have dispatched disinfection supplies,

powered air-purifying respirators, face

shields, gloves, coronavirus nucleic acid

detection reagents, ventilators, patient

monitors, syringe pumps, infusion

pumps, and food to affected areas.

Other churches have offered free Covid-

19 testing to the public. Although recently

churches have been opened, one

cannot easily forget the fact that most if

not all Church offerings and collections

have not been taken in the absence of

Church services during the closure.

Outside the Christmas and New

Year seasons, Easter is considered by

many Ghanaian Churches as of their

“cocoa seasons” owing to the large attendance

of people at the various services

and the “huge” offerings and

collections that come with such attendance

but this year many Christian's

could not celebrate Easter due to Covid-

19.

In the absence of congregations in

the churches and the taking of offerings

and collections, the coronavirus has undoubtedly

thrown most church budgets

out of the window, and even though a

few Churches have tried to innovate

ways to collect their offerings through

the use of mobile money apps and

other such platforms, the impact cannot

be the same. Many Christians do not

still attend church although church services

have been opened due to fear and

anxiety of contracting Covid-19. In the

context of this fear and anxiety,

churches and their leaders can only hope

and pray that their flock will not go

missing in the post-corona virus period

but will return to their fold safe, sound,

and healthy.

Elections

In political activities, Ghana has parliamentary

elections on December 7,

2020. Elections are keenly contested

here and campaigns are usually loud,

chaotic, and, of course, crowd-centered.

Preparations were on a tight schedule

and did not leave much room for anything

to go wrong. Then the virus

struck and the first casualty was the National

Identification Authority. It has not

yet been able to finish giving identity

cards to everybody above the age of 16.

Without it, people cannot register to

vote. The two main parties (NPP and

NDC) are gauging each other as the nature

of politicking has changed with the

advent of coronavirus.

Political rallies have been put on

hold and the political arrangements of

the parties have changed due to Covid-

19. Political campaigns cannot be as it

has always been- crowd centered and

loud. This year's election has put the citizens

in a state of dilemma because of

the introduction of the new register

which many Ghanaians are afraid to go

out and register because of the fear of

contracting Covid-19. This year's election

will likely experience a smaller number

of voters due to the pandemic.

Social distancing also being practiced effectively

at registration centres is also

debatable.

Health

In health, Ghana has been seriously

impacted by the Covid-19 in our health

systems. In Ghana, the Covid-19 pandemic

has spurred people to adopt innovations

in healthcare, from apps that

help diagnose Covid-19 symptoms, to

drones transporting blood samples to

speed up the testing process. Covid-19

has unveiled the inequalities to access to

healthcare in Ghana. Many areas in

Ghana do not have enough hospitals

and some don't have any at all. The testing

facilities in Ghana are also small so

samples have to be flown to Accra for

testing. As a result of this, the President

of Ghana has identified these problems

due to the emergence of Covid-19 and

has promised to build more hospitals

and testing facilities. Ghana's doctors

have also looked to technology to consult

patients remotely. Many pregnant

women are in fear of contracting Covid-

19 and do not visit the hospital, this can

increase the maternal and infant mortality

in Ghana.

In the pharmaceutical retail space,

Ghanaian start-up pharm, which last

year acquired Kenya’s second-largest

pharmaceutical chain, Hiltons, has been

using technology to address inefficiencies

in supply chains to lower drug

prices. As Covid-19 began to cause

global disruptions in drug supply chains,

subsequently threatening the supply of

important medicine in Ghana, in mid-

March pharm launched a price control

program called ‘Multi Keep My Price’.

The initiative allows patients in need of

chronic disease medication to continue

paying the same price for their prescriptions

for up to six months, regardless of

market prices. Covid-19 has underscored

the need to utilize technology for

healthcare.

In a nutshell, the outbreak of the

Covid-19 has some impacts on Ghana

which include both positive and negative.

Some positive include the need for

Ghana to have more technological advancements

in our education and health

systems. But the negative overcome the

positive because we rely on international

trade, it has affected the economy and

led to job losses. Also, social distancing

has limited the freedom and activities of

Ghanaians. The social structure of

Ghana has gone through modifications

due to Covid-19.

Benjamin Kwame Oduro

University of Cape Coast

Institute of Education

Bridget Asamoah

University of Cape Coast

Department of Population & Health

spread_ JULY 9, 2020.qxp_SHOWBIZ TEMP 7/8/20 6:28 PM Page 1

News

DAILY

We’ll isolate your

children during

exams if you come

for them

.GES to parents

THE GHANA Education Service (GES)

has served notice to all final-year and

Gold Track Senior High School (SHS)

students whose parents have picked them

from campuses over Covid-19 fears they

would be isolated during examinations.

According to the Chairman of the

Ghana Education Service(GES) Council,

Mr Michael Nsowah, the intention of the

planned action is to ensure that the

students coming from home do not put

their mates who stayed on campus at risk.

The comments come after scores of

parents trooped to several schools to pick

their children after reports of

coronavirus outbreak in some schools in

the country.

Speaking to Francis Abban on the

Morning Starr yesterday, Mr Nsowah said

the GES had its hand on the situation

and students who stay on campus would

be protected against the virus.

“If we are unable to contain the

pandemic in schools and send the

students home, are we not endangering

the general community? Parents are free

to take their children home but when the

time comes for exams, they [students]

will be isolated,” he said.

He stressed cases of Covid-19 in

secondary schools are not widespread.

“So far, from all the schools that I

have visited, there’s no case of Covid-19.

So far, I hope it doesn’t spread but we

have 700 schools, does it mean every

school must shut down? As we speak,

I’m in the Northern Region to inspect

that all logistics that students were

supposed to receive have been provided”.

Some SHSs, including the Accra Girls,

have confirmed cases of the virus with a

teacher and the spouse being affected

too.

“If we are unable to

contain the pandemic

in schools and send

the students home,

are we not

endangering the

general community?

Parents are free to

take their children

home but when the

time comes for

exams, they

[students] will be

isolated,” he said.

Ofankor murder case

THE MAGISTRATE

handling the case in

which Victor Nana

Kankam, a landlord,

killed his tenant,

Benjamin Okyere, has

praised the family of the murdered

for co-operating with and being calm

at court.

The premises of the Abeka

District Court become a subject of

noise and disturbances from family

and friends and other sympathisers of

the late Okyere when the court last

sat on the case.

There was drumming and shouting

by these people, which caused the

court to warn them that they would

be arrested and prosecuted should

they disturb the court again.

However, the atmosphere was the

opposite today as the few family

members and friends of the late

Okyere who appeared in court

showed comportment.

A member of the family, Madam

Cecilia Osei, explained that they had

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

Ghana has praised President Nana

Akufo-Addo for decongesting

Ghana’s prisons by granting

amnesty to 794 more prisoners on

June 30, 2020.

A release signed by Country

Director of Amnesty

International, Mr Robert Akoto

Amoafo, said “this is the second

amnesty President has granted this

year since he granted amnesty to

808 prisoners earlier in the year.”

According to him, statistics

obtained by Amnesty International

Ghana show that Ghana’s prisons

were overcrowded by 55.5% in

2019.

The carceral (prison) population

was 15,463 instead of 9,945

standard capacity.

respect for the court and so urged her

family members to remain calm.

She also said the late Okyere was

buried at his hometown last Saturday.

AG’s advice

Meanwhile, the Prosecution in the

case says it is waiting for the advice of

the Attorney General's (AG)

Department on the case docket.

In court on Monday, the

prosecutor, Inspector Stephen

Ahialey, told the court that, the

autopsy result was ready but they

were waiting for the AG’s advice on

docket.

The prosecutor told the court they

had forwarded the autopsy report and

the docket to AG for advice.

Background

The Abeka District Court in Accra

on June 22, 2020 issued a stern

warning to the aggrieved relatives of

the late Benjamin Okyere, who was

murdered by his landlord over their

continuous disturbances at the court.

Before the court even heard the

case, the aggrieved relatives had

started chanting and drumming in a

manner that was disturbing activities

HERITAGE, THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2020 WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH

Magistrate salutes family for good behaviour

• As prosecution awaits AG’s advice on case docket

BY MUNTALLA INUSAH


BY PHILIP ANTOH

philip.antoh@dailyheritage.com.gh

of the court.

Her Worship Mrs Achamaa Ofosu,

prior to adjourning the case, schooled

the leaders of the aggrieved relatives

on the procedure of the case.

The court warned them to speak

to their followers not to exhibit such

conduct in the court's subsequent

hearing of the case, else they would

be arrested and prosecuted.

The court said it is a criminal

matter and that there is a procedure

that it must follow.

The court said that even though it

was clear that the accused person,

Nana Kankam was seen committing

the crime, the procedure ought to be

followed.

“Having the President

grant amnesty to

prisoners at this time of

a pandemic is not only a

good thing but [also] a

critical step to ensuring

limited spread of Covid-

19 in the prisons,” Mr

Amoafo stated.

“It also shows

Ghana’s commitment to

work towards

decongesting our already

overcrowded prisons.”

“It is, therefore,

important that the

government desist from

putting in place laws that

promotes custodial

sentencing like the EI

164 which prescribes as

one of its sanctions a

custodial sentence of 4-

10 years for a person

found without a

The magistrate said due to the

Covid-19 pandemic, the accused

person had been remanded in prison

custody and would not be brought to

court until further notice.

Adjournment

The case was adjourned to July 20,

2020.

Amnesty Intl praises Prez over decongestion of prisons

•Mr Robert Akoto Amoafo

•File Photo

facemask.”

He said as a petty offence, we

do not believe it will help the

already dire situation of

overcrowding in our prisons. We

would also like to call on the

government to provide a dedicated

health facility to the Ghana

Prisons Service to attend to

prisoners who may be infected

with Covid-19 to ensure they are

able to control the security

situation of the prisoners,” she

stated.

Mr Amoafo said as a human

rights organisation, “we will

continue to work with government

and our various stakeholders to

promote the human rights of all

persons.”

“We encourage government to

put human rights at the centre of

measures to address the Covid-19

pandemic in Ghana.

Covid-19

‘pandemic

could push

49M Africans

into poverty’

THE AFRICAN

Development Bank (AfDB)

has said that 49 million

Africans could be pushed

into extreme poverty by the

coronavirus pandemic.

The AfDB said on

Tuesday that West and

Central Africa stood to be

most hit by the economic

slump.

The bank projects that

the economy will rebound

from the pandemic slump in

2021.

The AfBD forecasts a

3.4% contraction in gross

domestic product in 2020.

The figures were included

in a revision of the AfDB’s

African Economic Outlook,

which was originally

published before the

pandemic.

Africa’s big economies

like South Africa and oil

exporters like Nigeria,

Angola and Algeria have

been badly hit by the virus.

Lockdowns enforced in

different countries have

crippled economies and left

many jobless.

The global economy has

•File Photo

generally been affected by

the pandemic with the

International Monetary

Fund last month projecting

that the world’s economies

will shrink by 4.9%,

compared with a 3.0%

contraction predicted in

April.Source: BBC

The global

economy has

generally been

affected by the

pandemic with

the International

Monetary Fund

last month

projecting that

the world’s

economies will

shrink by 4.9%,

compared with a

3.0% contraction

predicted in April.

•Some students in a dining hall


8TH

JULY

2020

WEDNESDAY

CURRENCY PARIS CODE BUYING SELLING

US Dollar USDGHS 5.6646 5.6702

RATES Pound Sterling GBPGHS

6.9991

7.0084

Euro

GBPGHS

6.3577

6.3649

10



Volta Business forum calls for development

BY FAISEL ABDUL-IDDRISU, HO

THE VOLTA Business

Development

Forum, a group

which is made up of

businessmen and

women from the

Volta Region has called for a consented

effort towards the development

of the region.

The group made the call when

they paid a courtesy call on the

Volta Regional Minister, Dr.

Archibald Yao Letsa, in Ho on Friday,

to introduce themselves and

discuss matters regarding the development

of the region.

The Volta Business Development

Forum members say they believe

that the Volta Region has

enough human and natural resources

that can be exploited to

develop it; while indicating that

the region needs a strategic and

consented effort from stakeholders,

including individual sons and

daughters of the region and state

actors to propel the region into

making some more gains.

According to the Executive Director

of the group, Mr Daniel

Agboka-Dzegede, the Volta Region

has been lagging behind in

terms of development despite the

availability of these resources,

hence the need to awaken the conscience

of the indigenes.

He said, "We have realized that

the Volta Region for many years

have been lagging behind in terms

of development. The region has

been under the mercy of politicians

for decades and it is time

change is brought to the region,

hence the formation of this

group."

Mr Agboka-Dzegede stressed

that "the development needs of

the region must be addressed

through a collaborative effort

from all actors because enough is

enough," while appealing to the

Volta Regional Coordinating

Council to support the group towards

the achievement of its set

goals and objectives meant for the

growth of the region.

Addressing the forum on behalf

of the Minister, the Deputy

Regional Minister, Rev. Johnson

Avuletey, indicated that the Volta

Region had seen some level of development

in recent times but admitted

that the region needed a bit

more of indigenous support to

make some more gains.

He said, "I am excited to have

you come to share with us these

laudable ideas towards the development

of the region. I entreat

•The executives of Volta Business Development Forum with Rev. Ps. Johnson

Avuletey (3rd R on front roll) the Deputy Regional Minister after the event

you not to let this become a ninedays’

wonder. But most importantly,

I urge you to operate

without any form of partisanship

or to pursue any agenda of a selfish

interest, because I believe that

would be the only way to attract

government's attention when lobbying

for projects and business

support towards the development

of the region."

Rev. Avuletey also stated that

there is the need for natives of the

region to start diverting their investments

home in order to create

jobs and livelihoods, while assuring

the group that the region remained

a good business

environment for all forms of investments.

"I expect more from the group;

let's leave partisan politics and develop

the region," he emphasised.

The vision of the Volta Business

Development Forum is to

seek to attain a conducive and sustainable

business environment that

will drive investment into all sectors,

including tourism, agriculture,

trade and entrepreneurship, while

making use of local expertise for

job creation and development of

the region.

Sharing her perspective at the

meeting, the CEO of Aver Maven,

Yvonne Damalie, bemoaned the

lack of proper branding of the

Volta Region, its culture and history.

She said, "We will tell our own

story to the world; who we are,

our history, our worth, our contributions

to national development,

our culture -- to erase the negative

perceptions and tags others have

given us.

"We are the best to tell our

story and we will tell it our way

through various means and platforms

but largely, graphically to

make our statement. The world

must know our true identity.”

The group, which was led by its

President, Dr Prince Kofi Kludjeson,

included other business persons

like Dr Johnson Asiamah,

(formerly of Bank of Ghana), Mr

Francis Ganyaglo (a former

Deputy Regional Minister),

Charles Agbeli, Dr Felix Semavor,

Engineer Daniel Kabe, Dr Bright

Sogbey, Mrs Akorfa Ochlch, Mr

Francis Avornyotse, and Mr

Daniel Agbogah.

Covid-19

GIADEC donates PPE to Kyebi residents

THE GHANA Integrated Aluminum

Development Corporation (GIADEC)

has given a further boost to the coronavirus

fight by donating hygiene items

to people of Kyebi and surrounding

communities in the East Akim Municipal

District in the Eastern Region.

The items, which include quantities

of Veronica buckets, gallons of alcohol-based

hand sanitizers, disposable

hand towels, nose masks and dust bins

were presented to the locals as part of

efforts to mitigate the spread of the

novel coronavirus in the country.

Speaking at the donation ceremony,

the Chief Executive Officer of GI-

ADEC, Mr. Michael Ansah, reiterated

GIADEC’s commitment of continuous

support in the fight against the

virus and urged the beneficiaries to use

•Management of GIADEC (L) handing over the items to Nana

Adutwumwaa Dokua, the Okyenhemaa

the hygiene items judiciously.

“With the outbreak of the pandemic

in Ghana, we at GIADEC believe

in formidable partnerships and so

the little we can do to help curtail the

spread of the virus is by distributing

these PPEs to the people of Kyebi and

its neighbouring environs so that they

can protect themselves from the virus.

We have decided on the list of communities

that will receive this donation

and we will also engage the locals in

the distribution process so as to make

sure that everybody is better protected

so that we will be able to defeat the

virus,” he said

The Municipal Chief Executive of

Abuakwa South, Hon. Kojo,Ofori-

Safo, who was also present at the

event, lauded GIADEC for recognising

the need to provide such hygiene

items as the fight against the virus intensified.

He asked the corporation to do

more engagement and allow stakeholders

to have an input in mining activities

in their various localities.

The Okyenhemaa, Nana

Adutwumwaa Dokua, called on all locals

to join hands to support GI-

ADEC in its operations for the

benefits of all.

The Abontendomhene of Akyem

Abuakwa Traditional Area, who doubles

as Kyebi Chief, Osabarima

Kwabena, urged locals to supports

projects initiated by GIADEC as they

intend to provide great value to beneficiaries

of these projects.

GIADEC was established in 2018

through an Act of Parliament primarily

to promote and develop Ghana’s

Bauxite Reserves and downstream industry.

Highlighting the role of GIADEC

in making sure that communities

within which they operates is protected,

Mr. Ansah noted that the corporation

employed technology that

would not cause havoc to the environment

but would bring improvement

and protect the natural resources.



DAILY HERITAGE THURSDAY , JULY 9, 2020 11

Politics

Do not mind anything that anyone tells you about

anyone else. Judge everyone and everything for

yourself —Henry James

I attacked Jane Naana’s records, not

her gender – Buaben Asamoah

BY KWAME ACHEAMPONG

THE MEMBER of Parliament

(MP) for Adenta and New Patriotic

Party (NPP) Communications

Director, Mr Yaw Buaben

Asamoah, has hit back at critics,

including Betty Mould Iddrisu, for

implying that he made sexist comments

in his reaction to the National

Democratic Congress’

(NDC’s) running mate appointment.

A number of female personalities

and women’s groups, including

former NDC women’s leader,

Mrs Ama Benyiwaa Doe, have

asked the NPP’s Communications

Director to apologize for his comment

that the selection of Professor

Jane Naana Opoku Agyeman

shows former President John Mahama

does not take Ghanaians seriously.

However, the MP insists that

though Prof. Jane Opoku Agyeman

has distinguished herself in

her career, her political achievements

are nothing to write home

about.

“I said for the political choice

of Jane, John Mahama had

•Mr Yaw Buabeng Asamoah, NPP Communication Director

nowhere to go, he was stuck. He

couldn’t find his Bawumia clone,

so he ended up with somebody

who, he believes, cannot challenge

him for 2024, because he knows

he will lose 2020 and he will return

in 2024 and therefore, he

doesn’t want a vice-presidential

running mate who will challenge

him for the nomination. Nowhere

did I say because she’s a woman,”

he told Naa Dedei Tettey on Starr

Today on Tuesday.

He went on that, “And you see

as a politician, we will test her on

her record and she has a record.

‘Is it not true that she presided

over the cancellation of allowance?

Is it not true that she

presided over the cancellation of

research allowance?’ Every single

thing we said in that statement is

true of her as a politician.

Nowhere did I state her gender.”

Mr Buaben Asamoah says he

thinks that an apology must rather

be rendered by former Attorney-

General Betty Mould Iddrisu to

the former Education minister for

insinuating she got the nod as a

result of her gender.

He said, “Betty Mould has insulted

her by saying that it is because

she is a woman that she’s

been appointed as a presidential

running mate.”

“Betty Mould should apologise

to her for insinuating that she got

her position because of gender.

Betty Mould should apologize to

Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings

for attacking her for seeking to aspire

to lead the NDC, and ganging

up against her to leave the party

she formed.”

He went on, “I am not turning

it on to her; she has goofed. I

haven’t attacked a woman. That’s

not in my mind at all. It’s politics.

I have attacked a political record.

And that political record cannot

drive the NDC home to victory.

“Nowhere in my statement did

I use gender as a basis for assessment.

She is a very fine woman.

She has distinguished herself in

her career. But politically, she is

not someone who has done a

great deal for the nation.”

Naana Jane’s choice masterstroke for NDC victory —Sammy Gyamfi

THE COMMUNICATIONS Director

of the opposition National

Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr

Sammy Gyamfi, says the selection

of Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyeman

as the party’s running mate

for the 2020 polls is a masterstroke

which will propel them to

victory.

In his view, the NDC has leverage

in the elections because of the

appointment of the former Vice-

Chancellor of the University of

Cape Coast.

Addressing the media at the

party’s weekly press encounter in

Accra, the legal practitioner said

the governing party had been hurt

by the impeccable record of the

NDC running mate.

“Our flagbearer has unleashed

a political masterstroke that will

propel the NDC to a resounding

victory in December 2020.

“The NDC has noted the desperate

fabrications being peddled

•Mr Sammy Gyamfi, Communication Director of NDC

by the NPP about the sterling

record of Prof. Naana Jane

Opoku Agyeman as Minister for

Education.

“Firstly, the claim that Prof.

Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang

cancelled Teacher Trainee Allowance

is false. The decision to

replace Teacher Trainee allowance

with student loan was a Cabinet

decision and not a ministerial decision,”

he said.

Former President Mahama on

Monday unveiled the former Education

Minister as his running

mate for the polls. The academician

beat off competition from

well-known and established personalities

in the opposition parties.

Meanwhile, the Majority

leader,Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-

Bonsu says her inclusion will do

very little to the NDC ticket.

“When I first heard, I thought

he was going to settle on Dr Duffuor

or Nii Moi because they are

economists and finance experts of

considerable standing, so either of

them could have done it. If he

wanted a woman, I thought that

we have some women of some

demonstrable competence who

have risen through this house to

establish themselves. One such

person could be Hanna Tetteh,

who has been a member of this

House, Foreign Affairs minister

and some other areas, so she has

learnt the rules.

“Another person is the former

Attorney General, solid person. If

he wanted women, even the previous

Attorney General; even

though she has some skeletons

because of the Woyome issue but

you ask yourself what value this

woman is going to add to that

ticket.

“Calm woman, a woman of

poise and balance. She speaks

good English but is it good

enough to satisfy the ticket? Let’s

not forget; perish the thought, I’m

not wishing that, but let’s assume

that John becomes the President

and the next day he is no longer,

is this woman capable of being

described as the President of the

Republic? And that has nothing to

do with her person. I’m talking

about the quality in governance

that could affect and effect this

country. Is she that person? I

don’t think so at all,” the Suame

MP said.Starrfm.com.gh


12

DAILY

Politics


HERITAGE THURSDAY , JULY 9, 2020

CPP reopens nominations

for flag bearers

THE INTERIM

Oversight Committee

of the Convention

People’s Party

(CPP) has reopened

nominations for

contest of various positions of

the party, including; flag-bearer

position and National Executive

positions.

Picking and filing of nominations

started from Monday, July 6,

and will end on Wednesday, July

15, 2020, a statement signed by

Comrade R. O. Frimpong Manso,

Chairman of the Interim Oversight

Committee, and copied to

the Ghana News Agency in

Accra, stated.

According to the statement,

based on the recommendation of

the CPP National Election’s Planning

Committee, the Interim

Oversight Committee had pegged

nomination fees at GH¢2,000 for

all categories.

The positions opened for the

contest are flag bearer; national

chair and leader; national vicechairperson,

treasurer, general

secretary, national organizer,

women’s and youth organizers.

According to the statement,

Presidential aspirants would be required

to pay a filing fee of

GH¢100,000.00; National Chairman

GH¢50,000.00; Vice-Chairman

GH¢40,000.00; General

Secretary GH¢40,000.00; National

Treasurer GH¢40,000.00; and National

Organizer GH¢20, 000.00.

The statement said in conformity

with the party’s adherence

to promoting women empowerment

and youth participation in

national politics at the highest

level, Women and Youth

Organizers’ filing fees

was pegged at

GH¢15,000.00.

The party has also

fixed July 16, 17, and 18

for vetting of all aspiring

candidates, while August

15 has been fixed for the

National Delegates Congress,

which would be

conducted across the 16

region simultaneously.

The five-member Interim

Oversight Committee,

under the

chairmanship of Comrade

R. O. Frimpong-

Manso, was inaugurated

by the CPP Council of

Elders at a special meeting

on July 3, 2020, to

oversee the activities of

the Party towards the National

Delegates’ Congress.

The Council also named Dr.

Adolf Lutterodt and Professor

Nii Noi Dowuona as the chairmen

for the Extended Congress

Planning Committee and Vetting

Committee respectively.

The action by the Council of

Elders was in keeping with the

terms of the consent judgment

adopted and granted by her Ladyship

Mariama Sammo of the

Accra Commercial High Court ‘3’

dated Thursday, July 2, 2020.GNA

According to the

statement, Presidential

aspirants would

be required to pay a

filing fee of

GH¢100,000.00;

National Chairman

GH¢50,000.00;

Vice-Chairman

GH¢40,000.00;

General Secretary

GH¢40,000.00; National

Treasurer

GH¢40,000.00; and

National Organizer

GH¢20, 000.00.

Nana Akufo-Addo insensitive

over 15% transport fare hikes – Minority

BY KWAME ACHEAMPOMG

THE MINORITY in Parliament

has accused the Nana Addo

Dankwa Akufo-Addo administration

of insensitivity over the 15%

hike in transport fares.

Transport unions have since

the beginning of the week increased

fares, citing rising fuel

prices and the directive to reduce

passenger numbers as a measure

to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Leadership of Ghana Private

Road and Transport Unions

(GPRTU) has described the percentage

as inadequate, making a

case for 50% rather.

Speaking to Starr News, Minority

spokesperson on Roads

and Transport, Mr Governs

Kwame Agbodza, said the government

must solely be blamed

for the hardship the increment

was visiting on Ghanaians.

According to the Adaklu

Member of Parliament, the over

GH 600 million approved by

Parliament for disbursement to

businesses such as transport owners,

is being shared among NPP

executives and members.

“You cannot blame the commercial

drivers; fuel prices have

gone up on the account of [the]

government’s deliberate decision

to increase taxes. Prices of spare

parts have gone up and continue

to go up. We expected [the] government

to actually use part of

the interventions we made in this

house – the International Monitory

Fund 1billion dollars, the 10

billion from the Bank of Ghana

to cushion commercial drivers as

well.

“But what I have noticed – the

New Patriotic Party (NPP) is sharing

forms ….[but] GH 600 million

must be given to people

whose businesses can be traced…

nobody should think this is a normal

thing happening, this is insensitivity

by NPP government

towards Ghanaians.”

•Flashback: Some passengers boarding a vehicle in a trotro station



DAILY HERITAGE THURSDAY , JULY 9, 2020 13

Ghanaian educationist appointed

Ambassador for Millersville Uni. in USA

GHANAIAN ED-

UCATIONIST,

Caroline Esinam

Adzogble, has

been appointed

as the Ambassador

for Millersville University in

United States of America (USA).

The appointment of Adzogbel

by the University in Pennsylvania

comes on the heels of the institution’s

quest to boost their marketing

and recruitment efforts to

increase and diversify the multicultural

numbers.

Director for the Office of International

Programs and Services

at the Millersville University, Patriece

N. Campbell, said she was

confident that the move would

provide the institution with the

boost needed to ensure the improvement

of education.

“Millersville University hopes

that partnering with Caroline will

make our institution a “first

choice” school for many students

in Ghana and beyond. Her reach,

as it relates to educating students

and their families regarding their

international educational options

is matchless in the region,”

Ms Campbell said.

The 28-year-old Ghanaianborn

inspirational and multiaward-winning

educationist,

entrepreneur and philanthropist

is known for redefining

education across Africa.

With this new appointment

as the Ambassador, she

will go a long way in ensuring

the best for the university.

“I am super-excited to represent

Millersville University

in Africa because of the student-centred

programs they

have to offer, not forgetting

the great tuition discounts

they offer to first-time students

and the fact that their

graduates are 100% employable

on a global front,” Ms

Adzogble stated.

Ms Adzogble is also the

Chief Executive Officer

(CEO) of Caroline Group of

Companies, a conglomerate in

Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, UK

and USA.

The company’s subsidiaries

include Potters International

Caroline Esinam Adzogble

College, Caroline

University,

International

University

Services, International

Boarding

School

Services, Mercy

Heart Foundation

and Everyday

Travels and

Tours.

Ms Adzogble

says she believes

that

education is the

most affordable

and accessible

commodity on

the planet, for

which reason

she has been

touted as the

face of education

in Africa.

She recently

announced

plans to begin

initiatives targeted

at alleviating

the plight

of female prisoners in Ghana’s

prisons.

According to the CEO, the

move is to ensure that these female

prisoners have a better shot

at life behind bars as many of

them were detained over circumstances

beyond their control.

“When you listen to the stories

of many women in the prisons, a

lot of them are unable to afford

basic sanitary pads and no woman

actually deserves to use a cloth for

their menstruation. So, I have

taken it upon myself to provide

the basic sanitary pads and products.

“I will be starting with the

Nsawam prisons and I will continue

to other prisons across the

globe. I will also be doing donations

of beauty items to the ladies

in some of these prisons,” Ms Adzogble

explained at a press conference

on June 26, 2020.

In addition to the commitment,

which has begun this month, Ms

Adzogble revealed that she also

intended to assist female inmates

pay fines to grant them their freedom

to return to their families.

My diversity makes me a gem - Nuku

BY ERICA ARTHUR

PROMISING GHANAIAN talent,

Michael Nuku, known in the music

scene as Nuku, says his versatility in

music has made him a gem.

According to Nuku, his uniqueness

and versatility in the music game

should be supported by music lovers

and industry players.

He said, “The music space is filled

with lots of great talents but I am different

and a gem that should be supported.”

Nuku started music at a very

young age, he says, adding “Music

started off as a passion for me. I'll

rather write lyrics in my notebook in

junior high school than do anything

else. To me it was a calling, a gift from

God. I do popular music or what

most people call pop music, which

means all music that is popular and

has diverse styles.”

He says his aim is to use his talent

as a tool to educate and entertain people,

as well as be a voice for them.

Currently, he has recorded a little over

a 100 songs and most of them are

produced by REKX BEATZ, Bass

God and Beat Masta.

Nuku looks up to music gems like

Burna boy and Wizkid, saying,

“They've been big inspiration to me.”

He says he is his sole competition.

“I'm too hard on myself to reach excellence

and not be mediocre. I want

to leave a legacy, not a fantasy.”

He encourages his colleague

artistes to follow their own path because

that is where they will each find

true greatness.

The artist recently dropped a single

dubbed ‘Settle Down’, “which

comes from fragments of my love. I

felt during my encounter with a special

lady. Her good vibes got me

thinking. I'll be a damn fool if I lose

her, so in my quest to prove I want

more than just her body, I'll like us to

Michael Nuku

settle down. And that's what brought

about the song.”

About Nuku

Nuku was raised only by his

mother in Tema since he was still a

child.

He spent most of his life living at

his granny's house with his mother.

He had started writing songs at age

14. However, he began his career in

showbiz industry as a small screen

actor.

Nuku, who was born on May 24,

1989, is known for his smooth voice,

amazing dance moves, boy-nextdoor

charm and got his first role as

an inspector named CID TED on

Ghanaian drama TV series "The

Unit – Special Crimes". As years

went by, he got more roles on such

TV series and movies.

Growing up in Tema, Nuku enjoyed

singing in his church choir and

was inspired by musical artistes such

as Michael Jackson. Nuku emphasized

that, "Michael Jackson is the reason

why I do music and why I am an

entertainer.

He also showed off his dance

prowess by imitating the dance moves

of another one of his idols, Usher.

Gaining, popularity as small screen

actor. He has released a couple of

Indie songs titled, "Backa Bombay";

"Vibely", "Settle Down" and a few

more.

Nuku developed close relationship

with @rekx Beats, who is an engineer

and CEO and goes by the name Jay

Rekx, who became his protege after

making songs with the beat mogul.

Under the assistance of the Rekx

Beatz founder, he worked on an EP

"RED" and dropped the effort in October,

2016. In the set, he joined

forces with other Tema artistes,

Kelvin Black, Kay So, Robby Adams

and a few more.

Nuku possesses a light lyric countertenor

vocal style.



Arts & Ent


We only need leaders

who’ll put Ghanaians first

• Yvonne Nelson to NDC running mate

GHANAIAN AC-

TRESS and producer

Yvonne

Nelson has reacted

to the

nomination of

the running mate of the National

Democratic Congress’s Flag

bearer, John Mahama, for the

2020 general election.

The filmmaker, in a post, described

Prof. Naana Jane Opoku

Agyeman’s appointment as the

running mate of John Dramani

Mahama as strategic.

Ms Nelson, who expressed excitement

about the former Minister

of Education’s nomination,

advised her to put Ghana first in

everything and should not be carried

away like others do.

The mother of one, who endorsed

the appointment of the

former Vice-Chancellor of UCC,

is optimistic women can deliver

and serve the people right.

“Prof, I love this…Women can

deliver and serve your people

• Yvonne Nelson ana Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyeman

right. We know it’s strategic, yeah,

we only need leaders who will put

Ghanaians first, do this and don’t

be carried away like they all do

when they win. All the

best!” Yvonne stated in the

post

Prof. Opoku Agyeman’s

selection was announced

on Monday, July

6, 2020, by the NDC following

approval from the

National Executive Committee

and the National

Council of Elders at a

meeting held in Accra on

that day.

Mahama posted on social

media, saying: “The

@OfficialNDCGh, this afternoon,

unanimously, endorsed

my nomination of

Professor Naana Jane

Opoku-Agyeman as my

Running Mate for the December

2020 election. She

is God-fearing, a distinguished

scholar, a conscientious

public servant & a role

model.”

Kafui Dey loses senior brother

KAFUI DEY, a media personality,

is reported to have lost

his senior brother.

The timelines of so many

people on Facebook on Tuesday

were filled with tributes to

Edward Sena Dey, identified as

the senior brother of media

personality, Kafui. Sena Dey

is said to have passed on after

battling a mild stroke.

Born on March 19, 1970,

and alumni of the Achimota

School, Mr. Dey died on Tuesday,

July 7, 2020, at age 50.

In a viral video on Facebook,

Sena, who was active on

so many pages on Facebook -

David Papa Bondzie- Mbir,

AbenaMagis, Trotro Diaries,

Single's Diaries, Chop Bar Diaries,

etc -- shared his last

memories to his friends from

his hospital bed.

In the video spotted by

GhanaWeb, Sena Dey confirmed

that he was suffering

from a mild stroke, but had

earlier not paid attention to

the symptoms.

"I suffered a mild stroke a

week ago today; the signs were

there but I kind of ignored

them...I will recover. It just

takes physiotherapy, loads of

bed rest, and dietary change,

and lifestyle change," he is

heard in the video.

In that video, he pledged

that when discharged from the

hospital, he wouldn’t take

processed foods, and fruit

juice (unless natural from the

original fruit). He added that

he wouldn’t go near 'booze'

and any form of alcohol again.

After making these pledges,

the affable man passed away a

week after he was discharged

from hospital.

Friends have since taken to

their social media pages to celebrate

his personality and pay

tributes to him as well.

Ghanaweb

• Late Edward Sena Dey

In that video, he

pledged that

when discharged

from the hospital,

he wouldn’t take

processed foods,

and fruit juice

(unless natural

from the original

fruit). He added

that he wouldn’t

go near 'booze'

and any form of

alcohol again.



Playing for Black Stars will be a dream

come true – Hearts midfielder

ACCRA HEARTS

of Oak midfielder

Emmanuel

Nettey has said

playing for

the Black

Stars will be a realization of a

lifelong dream.

Nettey’s outstanding performance

for Hearts in the annulled

Ghana Premier League season

has not gone unnoticed.

Ahead of Charles Kwablah

Akonnor’s first squad announcement,

Nettey came up for mention

as one of the locally-based

players who could get an invite.

However, his name was not

included in the list and he is not

bitter over that decision.

Nettey, who believes in the

timing of God, is of the conviction

that when his time is due for

a Black Stars call-up, nothing will

stop him.

The former Inter Allies midfielder

tells www.ghanaweb.com

that his ultimate dream is to wear

the national colours.

He is happy with his current

form, he says, but will continue

to work hard to court the attention

of Akonnor and his technical

team.

“It’s every Ghanaian’s dream

to don the colours of the national

team and I know with

time, I won’t be an exception. I’m

going to wear the colours of

Ghana one day even if it’s going

to be for a day. I will represent

the country,” Nettey noted.

It has been nearly four

decades since Ghanaians celebrated

a trophy won by the Black

Stars.

The hunger for an AFCON

trophy cannot be over emphasized

and it is one of the tasks set

for coach Akonnor.

Quizzed on whether he will

be the man to lead Ghana to an

AFCON trophy should he be selected,

Nettey reasoned that it

would depend largely on the

quality and commitment of players

available.

“It won’t just be me but the

crop of players I’m gonna find

myself in. If we agree that this is

what we need to do for the country.

This is what the country

needs and we have the same

mindset, then I think we can all

drive at that,” he said.

I had no choice

I don’t understand VAR pitchside monitor rules — Arteta

ARSENAL BOSS Mikel Arteta

says he does not understand the

use of pitch-side monitors in the

Premier League after the decision

to send off Eddie Nketiah in the

1-1 draw with Leicester.

Referee Chris Kavanagh initially

showed Nketiah a yellow

card for his hard tackle on James

Justin.

But after consulting with the

VAR officials and viewing a replay

himself, he changed this to

red.

"In the last year I have never

seen a referee check any images,"

said Arteta.

"I do not understand the

rules. But I can do nothing now."

Arteta said he was also unhappy

at a challenge by a Leicester

player he felt should have

• Arteta issuing instructions to his players

• Eddie Nketia marching off after being shown a red card

resulted in a red card that he

identified as happening between

the 40th and 45th minute.

It is likely he was referring to

a clash between Jamie Vardy and

• Emmanuel Nettey

Shkodran Mustafi, in which

the Foxes striker caught the

defender in the face with his

heel. This went unpunished.

"It can be a red card but

then Leicester have to

play with 10 men,"

Arteta told Sky Sports.

"For an incident that

happened between the

40th and 45th minute,

it has to be a red card

as well."

In January this year,

the Professional Game

Match Officials Limited,

the body that

manages elite referees,

issued guidance

that referees should

start using pitchside

monitors for red card

decisions where it is

felt they should have

• Mikel Arteta, Caoch of Arsenal

the final say.

Prior to that, the only time

the monitors have been used in

2019-20 is by Michael Oliver in

an FA Cup third-round tie between

Crystal Palace and Derby

County.

As a result, he upgraded a yellow

card for Palace's Luka

Milivojevic to a red.

This approach has not been

witnessed often since then, with

the most notable occasion coming

in the game

between Southampton and Newcastle

in March, when referee

Graham Scott upgraded Moussa

Djenepo's yellow to a red after

consulting the pitchside monitor.

In January this year,

the Professional

Game Match Officials

Limited, the

body that manages

elite referees, issued

guidance that referees

should start

using pitchside monitors

for red card decisions

where it is

felt they should have

the final say.

DAILY HERITAGE JULY 9, 2020

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