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NPP Parliamentary Primaries: I have adequate money to pay delegates – Alfred Obeng

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Alfred Obeng Boateng, Member of Parliament for Bibiani-Ahnwiaso-Bekwai in the Western North area, has defended his recent statements on campaign financing for the next NPP parliamentary primaries in February 2024.

In a viral audio clip, he indicated his willingness to match any offers from his political rivals by providing financial support to delegates in his constituency.

Mr. Obeng Boateng stated that he was willing to provide up to GHC20,000 to each of the over 2000 delegates in the area, indicating that he had the financial resources in dollars to equal or exceed any prospective offers from his competitors.

Speaking with Citi News about the leaked audio tape, Mr. Obeng Boateng justified his comments while also highlighting that some portions of the tape had been edited.

He clarified that he intended to pay more than what others might offer but not necessarily double the amount.

“I don’t know who said double, [but] I said I was willing to pay more than they intend doing but not double,” Mr Obeng Boateng told Citi News’ Hawa Iddrisu.

Additionally, he emphasized that he had kept his money in dollars and reiterated that there was no wrongdoing in having dollar accounts. He pointed out that the possession of dollars should not be misconstrued as hoarding or illegal activity.

“Well, I said that as somebody who plans ahead as somebody who knows what he is doing…I should be prepared by now…they are talking about bringing their foreign partners to transfer dollars, and I equally have dollars in Ghana here. The dollar is not a contraband item, the dollar is not cocaine, and the dollar is a currency that we spend in Ghana, various people have dollar accounts, cedi accounts and euro accounts.

“I have kept my money in dollars and I don’t see any news in this and I don’t see why this should be misconstrued if I have kept money in dollars it means that the dollars have been hoarded or packed in my bedroom.”

Mr. Obeng Boateng firmly asserted that his statements were intended as a deterrent against potential competition and not as an attempt to purchase votes. He believes that his comments did not warrant investigation by any regulatory agency such as the Special Prosecutor.

According to him, his remarks underscore his financial preparedness for the upcoming campaign and his commitment to securing the support of delegates in his constituency.

Akosombo dam spill: We haven’t evacuated our troops from Mepe, according to GAF

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Following the overflow of the Akosmobo Dam, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) denied rumors that it had evacuated military personnel stationed in Mepe in the Volta Region.

According to media reports and social media posts, the soldiers who had been sent to the area for humanitarian relief operations had been ordered to leave on the orders of a higher authority.

The reports were labeled as “inaccurate” in a statement dated Sunday, October 22, signed by M.A. Larbi Navy Captain, Director General, Public Affairs.

“The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) wishes to debunk some media reports and series of social media posts especially on Twitter (X), claiming that military personnel deployed to Mepe in Volta Region for Humanitarian Relief Operations following the spillage of the Akosmobo Dam, have been withdrawn. GAF wishes to categorically state that the information in circulation is inaccurate and that the personnel have not been given any ‘orders from above’ to withdraw from Mepe or any other community affected by the spillage contrary to the social media posts,” GAF rejected in its statement.

GAF explained that the operations conducted by its officers are being executed in phases.

“It must be emphasised that the Humanitarian Relief Operations (Operation Boafo), being conducted by the Ghana Navy’s Riverine Command and the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Army is being executed in phases,” GAF added in its statement.

It expressed its commitment to ensuring urgent, equitable and appropriate response, thereby supporting all persons and communities affected by the spillage in conjunction with all stakeholders.

“GAF, therefore, wishes to assure the general public that as recently reported in the media of the thousands of persons rescued and marked efforts being made to support victims, it will not relent in the quest to ensure urgent, equitable and appropriate response and support to all persons and communities affected by the spillage in conjunction with all stakeholders.”

GAF in its statement also announced that its personnel of the Naval Riverine Command and the Army’s 48 Engineer Regiment are still deployed and conducting the relief operations (Operation Boafo) in accordance with the exigencies of the situation, at Mepe, Battor, Sogakope, Adidome, Aveyime, New Bakpa, Big Ada Ada Foah and the surrounding communities.

“These personnel are equipped with 10 Naval Boats and four (four) Engineer Assault Boats. From 13th October 2023 till date, GAF has rescued about 12,000 persons.”

The MP for North Tongu, Samuel Ablakwa, had earlier claimed the military personnel had left the area.

He subsequently confirmed the return of the military.

In a post on X, he said, “I am able to confirm that the military did indeed return following the reversal of that devious order from “above.”

“Let’s be clear, the over 12,000 displaced beloved constituents of mine have done nothing wrong to deserve their current VRA-induced predicament — all we ask for is empathy and justice.”

Israeli forces attack Gaza during fighting with Hamas militants

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Palestinians inspect the site of Israeli strikes on a house in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, October 23, 2023. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

Reuters, October 23 – On Monday, Israel continued to attack Gaza with airstrikes while Israeli troops engaged Hamas fighters on the ground in raids inside the embattled Palestinian territory.

Israeli aircraft also attacked southern Lebanon overnight, while Israeli forces engaged in combat with Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, according to locals, in indicators that the war was spreading.

According to the United Nations, famished inhabitants were running out of food, water, and places to hide from the relentless aircraft bombardment that had leveled large portions of Gaza, which is governed by Hamas.

Some aid was trickling over one border crossing into Gaza – but only a fraction of the amount needed.

Gaza authorities say at least 4,600 people have been killed in a two-week Israeli bombardment. That was triggered by an Oct. 7 assault on Israeli communities by Hamas militants who killed 1,400 people and took more than 200 hostage.

Both Israel and Hamas reported overnight clashes in Gaza.

Israel said ground forces mounted limited raids to fight Palestinian gunmen and that air strikes were being focussed on sites where Hamas was assembling to attack any wider Israeli invasion.

“During the night there were raids by tank and infantry forces. These raids are raids that kill squads of terrorists who are preparing for our next stage in the war. These are raids that go deep,” chief military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a briefing.

The raids also tried to gather information on the 222 hostages being held by Hamas, he said.

Hamas’s armed wing, the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, said its fighters engaged with an Israeli force that infiltrated Gaza and they destroyed some Israeli military equipment.

The group said the infiltration by what it described as an armoured force took place east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

“Fighters engaged with the infiltrating force, destroying two bulldozers and a tank and forced the force to withdraw, before they returned safely to base,” a statement said. There was no Israeli comment about the destruction of equipment.

The Al-Qassam Brigades also on Monday they were firing missiles on the south Israeli towns of Ashkelon and Mavki’im. Warning sirens blared out on the Israeli side.

GROUND ASSAULT AWAITED

Earlier on Monday, the Israeli military said that in the past 24 hours it had struck more than 320 targets in Gaza, including a tunnel housing Hamas fighters, dozens of command and lookout posts, and mortar and anti-tank missile launcher positions.

Aftermath of Israeli strikes in Khan Younis

[1/9]Palestinians inspect the site of Israeli strikes on a house in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, October 23, 2023. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa Acquire Licensing Rights

Israeli troops and tanks are now massed on the Israeli-Gaza border but how soon they might launch a ground invasion aimed at rooting out Hamas was not clear.

Asked by Israeli Army Radio if Washington was pressuring Israel to hold off, Israel’s deputy ambassador to the U.S. Eliav Benjamin said: “They understand that we are conducting the war in accordance with our interests. In the end of the day, we will do what we need to do when we need to do it.”

The U.N. humanitarian office (OCHA) said about 1.4 million of Gaza’s 2.3 million population were now internally displaced, with many seeking refuge in overcrowded U.N. emergency shelters.

Israel has ordered Gaza residents to evacuate the north. But the OCHA said it believed hundreds and possibly thousands of people who had fled were now returning to the north due to bombardments in the south and lack of shelter.

Fears that the Israel-Hamas war could mushroom into a wider Middle East conflict rose over the weekend with Washington warning of a significant risk to U.S. interests in the region and announcing a new deployment of advanced air defences.

Along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, the Iran-backed Hezbollah group has clashed with Israeli forces in support of Hamas in the deadliest escalation of frontier violence since an Israel-Hezbollah war in 2006.

SPREADING VIOLENCE

Early on Monday, Israeli aircraft struck two Hezbollah cells in Lebanon that were planning to launch anti-tank missiles and rockets toward Israel, the Israeli military said. Israel also struck other Hezbollah targets, including a compound and an observation post, it said.

Hezbollah said on Monday one of its fighters was killed, without providing details. Israel’s military said seven soldiers have been killed on the Lebanese border since the latest conflict began.

In the West Bank, two Palestinians were killed at the Jalazone refugee camp near Ramallah, the Palestinian health ministry said.

Residents told Reuters that Israeli forces raided the camp and made many arrests as they clashed with gunmen and some youths who threw stones. The Israeli army has not issued a statement about the incident.

Iranian security officials told Reuters Iran’s strategy was for Middle East proxies like Hezbollah to pursue limited strikes on Israeli and U.S. targets but to avoid a major escalation that would draw in Tehran.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh called for international unity to stop Israel’s attacks in Gaza and allow aid. A second convoy of 14 aid trucks entered the Rafah crossing from Egypt into Gaza on Sunday night.

The U.N. humanitarian office said the volume of aid entering so far was just 4% of the daily average before the hostilities and a fraction of what was needed.

The aid shipments did not include fuel.

CSIR considers diversying Ghana’s agriculture to stimulate economy

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The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) says it is introducing variety of tree crops and new farming techniques to diversify Ghana’s agricultural systems to stimulate economic growth.

The diversification drive, backed by substantial investment, aims to explore the untapped economic potential of the country, provide opportunities for higher exports and boost sustainable agricultural practices by leveraging new technologies to improve food security.

These were announced fifthScientific Conference and the Research Staff Association (RSA) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) general meeting in Kade in the Kwaebibrem District of the Eastern Region.

It was on the theme: “Diversification of Agricultural Systems: The Role of Tree Crops in Harnessing Ghana’s Economic Potential.”

During the forum, experts emphasised the need for Ghana to diversify its agriculture away from traditional commodities such as cocoa and maize towards the production of high-value crops like cashew nuts, shea butter, and palm oil.

Mr. William Agyapong Quaittoo, Chief Executive Officer of the Tree Crop Development Authority (TCDA), who was the guest of honour for the occasion, commended CSIR-RSA members for their role and support in research.

He said the tree crop development authority was well positioned to improve the alignment of the CSIR research agenda with market demands through mediating between research institutions, investors, and producer constituencies to ensure that output, products, and technologies were relevant to market needs.

In line with this, he said the central focus of their activities was to enhance the availability of high-quality planting materials for selected high-potential varieties and corollary services that meet the needs of farmers, investors, and markets.

This entailed fostering supply chains for these materials, especially orchestrating the generation and dissemination of an enhanced supply of seedlings to private nursery operators and the downstream supply of seedlings to producers in concert with corollary services such as grafting and inputs.

Ghana government had secured 100 million dollars in funding to finance these interventions in the tree crop sector, Mr. Quaittoo added, through the “Ghana Tree Crops Diversification Project.”

He said the interventions focused on strengthening institutions and governance within value chains, enhancing productivity and climate resilience, and providing support for post-harvest management, value addition, and market access.

He further explained that TCDA allocated $11 million to research activities, involving coconut, rubber, and cashew.

The funds will be shared among various research institutes, including CSIR-Oil Palm Research Institute, CSIR-Crops Research Institute/ College of Agriculture and Renewable Natural Resources of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana, among others, to support market-driven research proposals.

Again, a significant amount of the fund, totalling over US 30 million dollars, has been designated for developing high-quality planting material supply chains.

The project is set to commence in November of this year, according to Mr. Quaittoo, and requires thorough market-driven research for successful execution.

Professor Paul P. Bosu, Director-General of CSIR, said there had been a noticeable rise in research projects, with the total increasing from 298 in 2022 to 311 by the end of September 2023.

He said the management, through the Council’s research and development committee, had developed the research and development policy document to help streamline research activities in the long term.

Ghana’s CSIR is the country’s leading national science and technology institution, conducting scientific and technological research.

Dr. Kofi Ampomah-Benefo, the National President of the RSA, provided an overview of the association’s membership, which consists of the Research and Principal Technologist Grade Staff of CSIR.

He said it was created to be the leading source of information for science, technology, and innovation to support national development.

The RSA hosted the 2023 Annual General Meeting and 5th Scientific Conference, bringing together researchers, development partners, and graduate students from various disciplines to engage in discussions about the diversification of Ghana’s agricultural systems to unlock its economic potential.

Tree crops play a crucial role in diversifying agricultural systems and unlocking Ghana’s economic potential.

With its rich biodiversity and favourable climate, Ghana has the ideal conditions for cultivating a wide variety of tree crops, such as cocoa, shea, and oil palm.

These tree crops not only provide valuable sources of income for farmers but also contribute to the country’s export earnings and overall economic growth.

17 aid trucks travel from Egypt to Gaza.

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Aid trucks have entered Gaza from Egypt for the second day in a row as Israel ramped up its attacks on the Palestinian territory in the conflict started by Hamas’s murderous onslaught.

According to an AFP correspondent, 17 aid trucks arrived in the Gaza Strip on Sunday from Egypt to deliver aid to the Palestinian region that Israel has been bombarding and besieging since the start of the conflict with Hamas.

On Saturday, after the first convoy of 20 trucks passed through, the UN estimated that the cargo was only equivalent to 4% of Gaza’s daily imports before the start of the war. They also stated that at least 100 trucks per day would be needed for the 2.4 million Gazans, half of whom are children, who are deprived of essential supplies.

Real Madrid rule out the prospect of veteran Luka Modric leaving the club during the January transfer window despite Saudi interest.

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The chief executive officer of Real Madrid, Jose Angel Sanchez, has commented on the significant Saudi interest in the team’s best player, Luka Modric.

The Croatian superstar has been heavily linked with a move away from the Spanish capital with multiple Saudi Pro League clubs interested as well as MLS side, Inter Miami. Sanchez, however, has confirmed that the five-time Champions League winner will not depart the club in January.

 “There are no official negotiations on the part of Saudi League officials to include Luca during next January, and we have no idea about his departure from the team at the present time.” he told Arriyadiyah [Goal Arabic].

 While the club is certain that their star midfielder will not leave this winter, Modric has made it very clear that he is unhappy with the playing time he has received under Carlo Ancelotti this season. It is very likely that the player may leave the club at the end of the season.

IN A PHOTO:Luka Modric Real Madrid 2023-24Getty Images

WHAT NEXT? Modric and Real Madrid will be in action next when they take on SC Braga on Tuesday, October 24 in the Champions League.

Customers of Menzgold are asked to meet with police regarding the GHC 5 million released by NAM1.

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The leadership of the aggrieved customers of Menzgold Ghana will today, Monday, October 23, meet the Ghana Police Service to discuss the release of GH¢5 million by the company’s CEO, Nana Appiah Mensah, for onward disbursement.

Menzgold, in a statement announcing the release of the funds, which will be supervised by the police, indicated that payment would be limited to clients who have followed the stipulated procedures during the settlement process.

However, the convenor for the aggrieved customers, Frederick Forson, said the meeting with the police would provide clarity on the next line of action.

“He deposited GH¢5 million at the CID headquarters and per our checks, that money has been sent to the Bank of Ghana,” Forson said, adding, “We are yet to be briefed on the note accompanying the money and as of now, we don’t know what he actually wants the money to be used for.”

“The case is in the High Court now and I am sure the police if any action is taken at all, have to come from the Attorney General, but until we meet with the police, I will not know what he wants the money to be used for,” he added.

The aggrieved customers have been clamouring for the release of their funds after Menzgold suspended operations in 2018. The company has since been accused of running a Ponzi scheme.

Nana Appiah Mensah, who is also known as NAM1, is currently on trial for fraud.

Ghana’s entrepreneurial potential is hampered by an unfavorable corporate regulatory environment, according to a World Bank consultant

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According to World Bank specialist for the private sector Emmanual Awuni, Ghana’s unemployment problem is getting worse because of unfavorable company regulations.

He claimed that a significant barrier to the realization of the entrepreneurial potential of Ghanaian youth was the current regulatory framework and requirements from state agencies.

He claimed that the unfavorable business regulatory environment—which includes business registration—was discouraging young people from pursuing entrepreneurship.

3.87 percent of the population is currently unemployed, therefore this challenge, according to him, might make things worse.

He was speaking at the End Poverty Day Programme which was held at the World Bank office in Accra.

“We have seen an unfavourable business regulation framework in the country. We are looking at the entry and exit points for businesses. As a young person, you know that when you are starting a business and you want to register, it is sometimes difficult. To even exit the business has its own challenges,” he said.

Mr. Emmanual Awuni called for reforms in the regulatory framework and requirements to encourage youth to pursue entrepreneurship.

He said the World Bank (WB) aimed to eliminate the bottlenecks associated with the regulatory framework by engaging the relevant agencies to improve the regulatory quality in Ghana.

Thus, the WB had supported the Ministry of Trade and Industry to introduce business regulatory reforms to give agencies the push on how to improve regulatory governance and coordination to encourage entrepreneurship in the country.

The reforms, he said, will consequentially reduce unemployment in the country.

Mr. Awuni observed that many unemployed youths in the country lacked knowledge of career paths to pursue. He urged the stakeholders in labour and employment relations to welcome the idea of pre-employment services to reduce unemployment in the country.

He indicated that economic growth in the country had not been consistent with job creation.

He said major progress in terms of economic growth in the country was achieved in the extractive sector, and a significant number of those employed in the sector were expatriates. Therefore, the economic growth was not really creating the jobs needed to reduce the unemployment rate in the country.

Source: GNA

Government’s top priority following the Akosombo Dam catastrophe is helping victims, according to Oppong Nkrumah

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The government has stated that it is committed to assisting the Akosombo Dam leakage victims in reestablishing their lives and resuming normalcy.

There are increasing calls for the government to take into account temporarily moving the affected people to the Saglemi Housing project.

The government’s initial priority is on giving the victims with crucial aid, Information Minister Kojo Oppong stressed in response to these pleas during a press briefing.

He continued by saying that the Volta Region’s spillover has made the necessary to build 20 special centers to house those impacted by the flooding.

According to him, this approach aims to prevent their situation from deteriorating further during this challenging period. Additionally, Mr Oppong Nkrumah added that the government plans to assist them in returning to their home communities once the water levels subside.

“These are our brothers and sisters in various parts of the region, and the topography is such that twenty centres have been set up to accommodate people from nearby villages affected by the flooding exercise.

“The focus is to ensure that the people who have been relocated to these twenty centres are supported with the necessary food, sleeping materials, healthcare, etc, so that their situation does not become more precarious than it is now and then subsequent to that, when the water levels recede, to assist them to go back to their communities.”

Paramount Chief urges politicians to eschew politics of insults

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Oyeadeeyie Basape Kojo Armah lll, Paramount Chief of Sefwi Bekwai Traditional Area, has urged politicians to avoid insults and distasteful comments towards their opponents when expressing their views on political issues.

He said the use of indecent language by politicians had the tendency to degenerate into a never-ending conflict that could plunge the country into chaos.

Oyeadeeyie  Armah lll made the call when Mr Bright Asamoah Brefo,  the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Candidate (PC), paid a courtesy call to him at his palace.

The NDC Candidate was at the palace to seek the Chief’s advice and blessings to begin his campaign in the area ahead of the 2024 elections.

Oyeadeeyie  Armah said a peaceful environment was the surest way through which the country could achieve development aspirations, saying, “a healthy competition is essential to democracy and that must not lead to bloodshed.”

He commended the parliamentary candidate for recognising traditional authorities as partners in development and assured him of his prayers and support.

On some of the developmental gaps in his paramountcy, Oyeadeeyie Armah III mentioned the lack of public toilets, district hospitals and market square as their major challenges, and appealed to Mr Brefo to help resolve those issues when given the nod.

Mr Brefo thanked the Sefwi Bekwai Paramount Chief for his warm reception, blessings and advice to pursue his political journey.

He promised to lead the charge for development projects in the area when given the opportunity to become the Member of Parliament (MP) in 2024.

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