General News of Wednesday, 19 July 2023Source: www.ghanaweb.comDr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice-President, has emphasized the importance of maintaining a clean and respectful campaign as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearership race intensifies. During an address to party faithful in the Ashanti Region, Dr. Bawumia stated that he has instructed his supporters and spokespersons not to respond to aspirants who attack him. "I have instructed all my supporters and spokespersons that we must conduct a clean campaign, avoiding any form of insults. According to the press statement, the Vetting Committee chaired by Prof. Mike Oquaye approved all 10 candidates after individually vetting them. Justin Kodua Frimpong, the General Secretary of the party, stated that the Committee's report, pursuant to Article 10(3) of the NPP constitution, confirmed the approval of the candidates.

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice-President, has emphasized the importance of maintaining a clean and respectful campaign as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearership race intensifies. During an address to party faithful in the Ashanti Region, Dr. Bawumia stated that he has instructed his supporters and spokespersons not to respond to aspirants who attack him. "I have instructed all my supporters and spokespersons that we must conduct a clean campaign, avoiding any form of insults. According to the press statement, the Vetting Committee chaired by Prof. Mike Oquaye approved all 10 candidates after individually vetting them. Justin Kodua Frimpong, the General Secretary of the party, stated that the Committee's report, pursuant to Article 10(3) of the NPP constitution, confirmed the approval of the candidates.

A former Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Inusah Fuseini, has said that he is in support of the calls for the abolition of the death penalty in Ghana. “I stand for the abolition of the death penalty. Number two, that is the old law where it says death for death, an eye for an eye. The proposed amendment aims to substitute the death penalty with life imprisonment. During the parliamentary debate on the amendment bill, MPs expressed varying opinions concerning the abolishment of the death penalty.

Some of the members indicated that even though they voted in the NPP’s constituency elections but their names have now been omitted from the register for the parliamentary and presidential primaries. The album that came from JFK went for validation upon the request of some of the leaders. But we are the same people who went to vote for the constituency executives at Subri Nkwanta. It was the same election that they used to elect the regional executives, it was the same people who went to vote in the national elections to elect JFK and the party’s chairman. Watch a video of the remarks made by the NPP executives in the video below:BAI/OGBIn the meantime, watch the latest episode of #SayItLoud on GhanaWeb TV with Etsey Atisu below:

According to Ghana's Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, Yaw Frimpong Addo, it appears both tomato traders and consumers are going to see better times. In the past few months, tomato traders have bemoaned the shortage of this commodity on the market following the conflict in one of Ghana's neighbors, Burkina Faso. At the same time, tomato farmers in the Northern part of Ghana are burdened with challenges such as poor road networks and inadequate infrastructure, among others. However, Deputy Minister Addo noted that investors were poised to take over the farmlands and pump money into the tomato industry. This boost in the sector, he said, will lead to an increment in tomato production in the country.

According to him, the vice president has contributed less to the number of seats the party has won in the region than any other vice-presidential candidate. Speaking in an interview on Kumasi-based Sikka FM, on July 14, 2023, Joseph Amoah added that the figures of the 2020 elections show that the party’s parliamentary candidates were more popular than the vice president. During the era of Aliu Mahama, we got 8 seats, so he added five seats. Aliu Mahama gave us 5 seats for two teams, 2 and a half seats per term. Joseph Amoah added that the vice president failed in the north because the NPP lost a lot of votes in the presidential elections compared to the parliamentary elections.

A frontline aspirant of the New Patriotic Party flagbearer election, Boakye Agyarko, as part of his campaign, has spelt out his vision for the country. The former energy minister has stated that it is his vision to build a strong, optimistic and unified Ghana. Mr Agyarko, told the host that, not only does he want a unified Ghana, but he is also passionate about Ghana's educational system. We are in an era of artificial intelligence.”Boakye Agyarko is in the Ashanti region as part of his ongoing media engagement tour. Amongst other issues, the show was centered on the biography of Boakye Agyarko, his vision and achievements at the party and government level.

Kennedy Agyapong, a Member of Parliament for Assin Central who is running for New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, has warned all other candidates to conduct a clean campaign. According to him, everyone should exercise caution in their speech, he advised, as he would respond to any accusations made against him. Selling his message to the delegates, Mr Agyapong said that he would be a better manager of the economy than any of the aspirants. He said “We will have troubles if we don’t do a clean campaign because I will reply to every claim made against me. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Speaking on the matter on Good Morning Ghana, Kwesi Pratt Jnr expressed his reservations about the apparent contradiction in Dr Bawumia's stance. If it's all about northerners, why did you support former President John Mahama?" Kwesi Pratt's comments bring to light the contradiction between Bawumia's current rhetoric and his involvement in the past campaign against former President John Dramani Mahama, who also hailed from the Northern region. The Insight Newspaper's Managing Editor questions why Bawumia supported a campaign against a fellow northerner if he now champions the cause of promoting northerners for the presidency. Highlighting the inconsistency, Pratt continued, "John Mahama did not come from the Eastern Region or the Western Region; he also came from the North, and yet Dr Bawumia vigorously campaigned against him.

Commencing a week-long tour to commission several of its completed infrastructure projects across 5 regions, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) has, through its CSR arm, the GNPC Foundation, handed over six completed projects to some beneficiary schools and a community in the Central Region. He tagged GNPC as a development partner of the region given the national oil company’s exceptional levels of investment made in the region. Highlighting some key GNPC-funded projects that’s benefited the region, he said the national oil company, by numbers, has over 70 projects, both completed and ongoing, across the several Metropolitan/Municipal/District Assemblies in the central region. These are classroom blocks, science laboratories, dormitory facilities, sanitary blocks, Astroturf facilities and water (boreholes) projects. From the Central Region, the GNPC will, in the coming days, continue its tours to hand over other completed facilities in Ashanti, Bono, Eastern and Greater Accra regions.

General News of Sunday, 16 July 2023Source: www.ghanaweb.comPresident Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is being accused of watching on while his daughter, Edwina Nana Dokua Akufo-Addo disrespected Ghana’s national anthem at a public event. While she stood to observe national anthem, the first daughter of the president continued talking on her phone until midway through the anthem when she dropped the phone in her handbag and stood attention for the remainder of the anthem. The video has attracted several reactions across social media with some users accusing the president of being nonchalant about his daughter’s conduct. On Friday, June 9, 2023, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was captured flying into a rage at a public ceremony. Nii Torgbor in his statement added that he subsequently took active part in the event including standing for the national anthem when it was played later following the president’s outburst in spite of his health challenge.

General News of Sunday, 16 July 2023Source: www.ghanaweb.comThe Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare, has revealed the deep trauma he has experienced since the death of a policeman in the bullion van robbery incident at Ablekuma Fan Milk . General Corporal Callistus Amoah was tragically killed during a daylight robbery incident on June 22, 2023. Videos circulating on social media captured the attack, showing members of the public rushing to aid the fatally wounded policeman, who was pulled from a pick-up truck. He shared the immense pain and trauma he has experienced, stating, "I have been in an immeasurable pain which I have not been able to measure and define. During the pre-burial service, the police administration took the opportunity to posthumously promote Callistus Amoah in recognition of his service and sacrifice.

Crime & Punishment of Saturday, 15 July 2023Source: www.ghanaweb.comAfter serving 15 years, which is half his sentence, for a crime that he did not commit, a man whose name has been withheld for security reasons has finally been discharged. The convict, who was slapped with a 30-year jail term for conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery has been acquitted and discharged by the Court of Appeal, Criminal Division in Accra. His release comes after available appeal records were found to lack sufficient evidence to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. She, therefore, put forward that the appellant’s appeal against his conviction and sentence be granted. Attached below is the State Attorney’s submission:SS/DA

General News of Saturday, 15 July 2023Source: www.ghanaweb.comAn Accra High Court has dismissed the GH¢800,000 lawsuit filed by former Director of Finance of Intercity STC Coaches Limited, Nuhu I Jansbaka, against The Herald and two others, after nearly seven years of trial. Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, in her judgment, dismissed claims of malice and rebuked the Managing Editor of The Herald and the paper's publishers, Prime Mark Company Limited. The lawyers representing The Herald, led by David Annan of Nii Odoi Annan & Co, Asere Chambers, declined to seek costs against Mr. Jansbaka. The case against Mr. Jansbaka stemmed from severe criticism he faced during his tenure as Head of Finance and Administration at STC Coaches Limited between 2012 and 2013. The committees found adverse findings, comments, and recommendations against Mr. Jansbaka, including the confirmation that he had paid himself GH¢13,019.67 from the workers' provident fund.

General News of Saturday, 15 July 2023Source: zionfelix.netGhanaian actor cum farmer, John Dumelo, is excited about the passage of the Narcotics Control Commission Amendment Bill 2023. The bill was approved after its third reading on July 12, 2023, in Ghana’s parliament. Following the passage of the bill, companies can obtain licenses and plant cannabis for industrial purposes. John Dumelo wrote: “I’m very excited Parliament has passed the Narcotics Control Commission Amendment Bill 2023, which seeks to decriminalize the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal and industrial purposes. As a farmer, adding the cultivation of cannabis to my portfolio for medicinal/ industrial purposes is definitely something I’m looking forward to.