The Fixing The Country Movement, a political pressure group, is set to picket at the Offices of Former President John Mahama and the Special Prosecutor on Thursday, November 23, 2023.

The group will be picketing at the offices in its demand for prosecution of persons involved in an “Airbus bribery scandal.”

Mr Ernest Owusu Bempah, Convenor of the group, said they were not happy with the lackadaisical nature of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) on the case, hence their decision to picket at the two  offices to register their displeasure.

“The European aircraft manufacturer has admitted paying bribes in Ghana when it sold a three-military aircraft to the country, dating back to 2009 -2015.”

“As a matter of fact, the company admitted hiring a relative of the Former President as its consultant in the sale of the aircraft. However, the OSP is lackadaisical to prosecute the persons involved,” he stressed.

Mr Bempah said they wanted the  OSP to open a thorough enquiry on the Airbus corruption, saying, they believed the  former President was culpable in the scandal.

The Convener said the Ghana Police Service had given them the green light to picket and the route to the offices.

He added that per the agreement with the Police, they would commence their picketing movement at the Efua Sunderland Park at 0900 hours before moving to the OSP office, then through Cantonments where they would be picketing at a 300-metre distance from the Office of Former President Mahama.

Mr Bempah said they were not perturbed by threats they had received from some members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over their picketing.

He added that the picketing was their constitutional and legal right that no one could deny them of it so far it was done in the consonance with the law.

“We are law abiding citizens and will not be moved by these antics by some unscrupulous persons. We will exercise our legal land constitutional rights without fear of anyone,” he stressed.

With less than a month to the district-level elections, scheduled for December 19, 2023, most female aspirants are not finding financial resources to execute their campaign.

This came to light during a Ghana News Agency (GNA) interaction with some women aspirants at a training workshop organized by the Alliance for Women in Media Africa, (AWMA) with funding support from the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI).

An Aspirant and incumbent Assemblywoman for Kokomlemle West Electoral Area, Linda Mirekua Ansong, shared her experience of facing rejections for funding requests by companies located in her community.

“If the companies situated in my electoral area will recognise the efforts, I am making to help the people in my community, and support me financially when I go to them, at least a little percentage of their social responsibility could go a long way but I have written letters upon letters to some of them but to no avail.”

She said funding would significantly contribute to provide skills training opportunities for the numerous unemployed youths in the area, which would in turn help her campaign.

“In Kokomlemle West Electoral area, a substantial number of unemployed youths express a willingness to undergo skills training, particularly in fields like dressmaking, hairdressing, or makeup artistry. However, financial constraints hinder their access to these professional training opportunities as fees are required, so if the companies can help me access funds I could do more because am already doing it with my little resources.”

According to Linda, despite being an unpaid Assembly Member, she has initiated beneficial programs such as breast screening, health insurance registration, and community-wide SIM card registration.

She said, “I do organise end of year party for the under privileged children in my Electoral Area but none of the companies located there have once supported my efforts.”

She questioned the effectiveness of companies’ social responsibility initiatives in their host communities if they were unable to collaborate with the local Assembly Member.

Barbara Naa Shormey Palm, a first-time aspirant for the Awudome Electoral Area, said she contributed to community development through the provision of skills training in liquid soap and detergent making.

She said her initiative of providing adult education to her community could positively impact the community if she is elected.

She acknowledged the challenges faced by women aspirants in obtaining funding for campaigns and appealed to well-to-do community members to support female candidates in their electoral area, emphasizing that their support would be crucial in ensuring development in the communities.

The workshop, was on the theme, “Enhancing Inclusive Participation in Local Governance in Ghana Through Capacity-building for Journalists and Female Political Aspirants,”

It is aimed to empower female aspirants and journalists by enhancing their communication skills for more compelling messages in their campaigns and gender sensitive reporting, respectively.

Despite several ratifications by Ghana to promote gender equality, women seeking political office in continue to face challenges that hinder their potential to amplify their voices and contribute to decision-making at the grassroots level.

Without sufficient funds, women candidates may struggle to organize rallies, reach out to constituents, and deploy effective communication strategies—all of which are essential components of a successful political campaign.