Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, a former Minority Chief Whip and Asawase Member of Parliament, has rejected as unrealistic the governing New Patriotic Party’s lofty objective of garnering more than 80% of the vote in the approaching December election in the Ashanti Region.

Muntaka foresaw consequences in the polls and stressed that the NPP’s dismal performance in the Region will not go ignored.

Speaking to reporters in Kumasi, Muntaka voiced doubt about the NPP’s chances of winning, wondering how they would be able to get such a large percentage in the face of obvious obstacles.

• NPP poised to reclaim the Ayensuano constituency Seat-Parliamentary Candidate 

“With all the struggles that are so glaring, are you going to deny us from voting? Or how are you going to get the 85%? I heard somebody screaming about 85% and I said this guy is coming from some kind of place.

I’m very optimistic that this time around the NDC should be able to get at least about 32% of votes in the Ashanti Region.”

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has underscored the need for Africa to consolidate its fragmented financial institutions to speed up the continent’s development efforts. 

 He said that consolidating the continent’s development funding instruments could create a more cohesive and effective financial framework that ensures resources are allocated where they are most needed. 

The President said this at the Sixth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of the African Union (AU), in Accra on Sunday. 

The meeting aims to harmonise the AU’s policies with those of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and the Regional Mechanisms (RMs) and to deepen the Union’s integration agenda. 

It will deliberate on pressing issues of economic integration, interregional trade, and operations 

A host of African Heads of States and Governments, the heads of the regional economic communities, the heads of the regional mechanisms, and the members of the AU commission, as well as continental stakeholders are taking part in the meeting. 

 President Akufo-Addo told the gathering that the current situation where the continent’s financial landscape was fragmented, with numerous institutions and initiatives operating in divides, had resulted in inefficiencies, duplication of efforts and a suboptimal use of resources. 

 He stressed that consolidation of institutions and initiatives would not only streamline the continent’s efforts, but also improve its capacity to mobilize domestic and external resources efficiently. 

 “It will enable us to scale up our investments in key areas such as education, infrastructure, health care and technology, driving comprehensive and sustainable development across the continent. 

“I therefore call for consolidation and implore our AU institutions to provide the technical and strategic recommendations as to how this can be done,” he said. 

The President emphasized the importance of the African Central Bank, African investment bank, and African Monetary Fund in achieving a coordinated financial system. 

He said the streamlining the activities of those institutions was vital to achieving the financial stability and economic integration necessary for the successful implementation of the AU’s agenda 2063, which aims for inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development over a 50-year period. 

President Akufo-Addo stressed that the consolidation of Africa’s financial instruments would strengthen the continent’s position in the global financial system, and “ 

enable us to negotiate from a position of strength and unity leveraging our collective resources and capacities to achieve our development goals” 

“By integrating our financial systems, we will not only create a more robust and resilient African economy, but also improve the quality of life for our people through improved access to essential services and opportunities,” he said. 

The President called on his counterparts and the African Union Commission to demonstrate the political and commitment to driving the integration of the continent’s financial systems for the economic development of Africa. 

“We must ensure that the legal frameworks and the requisite financial resources are in place to support the establishment and functioning of these institutions. 

“The establishment of these financial institutions is not merely an administrative exercise, it is a bold and visionary step towards a unified, prosperous, and self-reliant Africa. 

“It will be a testament to our collective resolve to take control of our financial destiny and build a future that reflects the true potential of our continent,” he said. 

The meeting will also address the pressing security issues in Sudan, the increase in terrorism, which has led to a multiplicity of unconstitutional changes of government, the ongoing struggles in the Horn of Africa and the continuing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo and make appropriate recommendations for the 2025 summit of the Union. 

The Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) in partnership with the Embassy of Denmark, has launched the: “Defending Media Freedom and Truth and Strengthening Climate Reporting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Project in Accra. 

As a global trailblazer in promoting democracy and climate action, Denmark renews its commitment to help Ghana achieve the SDGs, especially, SDG 16 – Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions and SDG 13 – Climate Action, through the provision of a DKK1,000,000 grant support. 

The one-year project aims to build capacity and support the efforts of local actors in increasing awareness and engagement regarding climate change issues in the political debate, as well as addressing challenges within democracy, civic space, freedom of speech, and human rights. 

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the modalities of the use of the grant was signed between the Embassy of Denmark and the CDD-Ghana, main partners, and Grants Manager-CDD-Ghana.  

The project has provided small-scale grant support to national and local civil society organizations to realize objectives, such as strengthening the dialogue by Ghanaian media stakeholders regarding the content of a National Action Plan to promote media freedom. 

Others are strengthening young people’s engagement and awareness of fake news, misinformation, impact of government policies on climate change; and strengthening journalists’ understanding of climate change, including government’s policies, to strengthen climate reporting.  

Mr Tom Nørring, Ambassador of Denmark to Ghana, in his remarks noted that support to democratic governance had been a central element in the Danish Ghanaian collaboration for many years and over time the commitment to stable democratic governance had become a central part of the core values that Denmark and Ghana share. 

He said a lot of progress had been achieved in 32 years making Ghana a beacon of democracy in West Africa and on the continent. 

“This will be the ninth Presidential and Parliamentary elections under the Fourth Republic; despite the maturing of Ghana’s democracy, these upcoming elections are extremely important, especially at a time where democracy is under serious threat in the region,” Mr Nørring stated.  

“It is imperative that we unite our efforts to bolster Ghana’s democratic framework, fostering, strengthening and protecting press/media freedom.” 

The Ambassador said the project provided Denmark and Ghana an opportunity to work together on both the SDG 16 “Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions” and SDG13 “Climate Action”.  

Mrs Linda Asante Agyei, Vice President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), on behalf of the project’s steering committee expressed their commitment to ensure that the project was implemented with the highest level of transparency, accountability, and inclusivity.  

She urged grantees to work closely with all stakeholders, including government agencies, civil society organizations, and local communities, to ensure that their interventions were responsive to their needs and priorities of the project theme.  

She expressed concern about the safety of journalists as Ghana goes to the polls in December, saying, “Attack on the media, as we all know is an attack on our democracy and if the journalists do not have that freedom to discharge their duties as expected of them, then, it will be very difficult for all of us.” 

Mrs Asante Agyei expressed appreciation to the Danish Embassy and CDD-Ghana for their partnership and support, adding that, “We look forward to a successful project implementation and a lasting impact in Ghana.” 

Professor Audrey Gadzekpo, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of CDD-Ghana, underscored the symbiotic relationship that exists between media and democracy.  

“We must remind ourselves that there cannot be one without the other, in other words, where there is free media, there is likely to be a democracy, and where there is a democracy, there will be free media. We cannot take this freedom for granted,” she said. 

“Again, I would like to remind us of media freedom and the reason we have a strong Constitution that protects media freedom is because we are expected to be a proxy to individuals’ freedoms; so, if the media is not free, individuals cannot be free, as well and our democracy cannot thrive.” 

Dr Kojo Pumpuni Asante, Director, Policy Engagement and Partnership, CDD-Ghana, said the project, which forms part of their five-year strategic plan, would go a long way to help promote press freedom in the country and to strengthen people’s engagement and awareness of fake news and misinformation, especially in this election year. 

Madam Ida Ajoa Asiedu, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate for Ayensuano, said the Party is poised to reclaim the Ayensuano seat, from the National Democratic Congress (NDC), come December 2024. 

For her, winning the primaries to become the parliamentary candidate was a strong indication that everything that happened in the past leading to the loss of the 2020 NPP parliamentary candidate had been resolved and victory awaited the party. 

The Ayensuano constituency has been a stronghold of the NPP, from 2000 until 2020 when the NPP’s three-time Member of parliament Mr Samuel Ayeh-Paye, lost with a slim margin to Mr Teddy Saforo Addi of the NDC. 

 Even though President Nana Akufo-Addo won in the presidential with 22,915 votes as against Former President Mahama who polled 15,823 votes, the incumbent MP polled 18,970 votes to succumb to Mr Teddy Addi, who garnered 19,211 votes, in the 2020 general elections.  

After losing to the incumbent MP in the first attempt, Madam Asiedu, a 40-year-old mother of three and an entrepreneur, won the NPP primaries to contest as the parliamentary candidate for the 2024 elections.  

 In an interview with the GNA Gender-desk, the parliamentary candidate said until 2020 when she first came to the limelight to contest in the constituency primaries for the parliamentary candidature, she had always been a strong party member, supporting the party’s activities behind the scenes. 

“I have been involved in the party’s activities not only in the constituency alone, for a long time, but I have always supported on the quiet and kept my profile low until 2020 when I decided to offer myself for representation,” she said. 

According to the candidate, she had been offering support to the constituency to improve the living conditions of the people and mentioned the re-shaping of a 12-kilometre feeder road in the constituency as to her credit. 

 Ayensuano is a farming community, which contributes to Ghana’s food basket, but have problems with roads from the hinterlands to facilitate carting of farm produce to the markets for sale.  

Madam Asiedu, who is passionate about women and youth empowerment, is constructing a paper tissue factory estimated to employ about 300 direct workers at Asuboi in the constituency, to create jobs for the youth and improve the local economy. 

Madam Asiedu, the first female to contest for parliament in the constituency, said she was bringing on board “true leadership with a human face and quality parliamentary representation to improve the living conditions of the people.” 

Sharing her view on the Affirmative Action agenda, she said it was critical to provide such legal structures to support women who have the zeal to go into politics adding, “the terrain is not easy for women at all, especially venturing into governance and political leadership positions.” 

 She appealed to the electorate in the constituency to rally behind her especially the women, to bring a new leadership and representation needed to change the narrative of the constituency.