IDDI AMIN

The Supreme Court has dismissed an application by Daily Searchlight editor Ken Kuranchie that was seeking to challenge the eligibility of John Dramani Mahama to contest the 2024 elections.

The apex court found the application defective.

Mr. Kuranchie in June 2023 filed the case against Mr. Mahama, former President John Agyekum Kuffuor, the Speaker of Parliament, and the Attorney-General.

He contended that a true and proper interpretation of the 1992 Constitution should lead one to the conclusion that the only person entitled to a second presidential term must be a sitting President.

The reliefs he was seeking include, “A declaration that on a true and proper interpretation of Article 66 (1) of the 1992 Constitution, the number of years of a presidential term in Ghana is four years.

“A declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 66 (1) and (2) of the 1992 Constitution, a person seeking a second presidential term must be a sitting president.

“An order directed at [John Mahama] to fully disclose to Parliament the terms of his engagements with Parliament as flagbearer of a political party.”

Airbus scandal

The Fixing the Country Movement has notified the general public of the change of date for their demonstration and picketing at the office of former president John Dramani Mahama from 16th of November 2023 to 23rd November, 2023.

A statement issued by Convener, Ernest Owusu Bempah said that the reason for the change of date is a result of the funeral ceremony of the former first lady the late Mrs. Theresa Aba Kufour, which falls on the 16th of November, 2023.

“The movement would want to join the nation and commiserate with the entire Kufour family on that day.

“However, a new date has been arranged and agreed with the Ghana Police Service, which is Thursday 23rd of November, 2023,” the statement said.

It added, “The Movement would also use this medium to reassure our teeming supporters and the general public to remain poised for the demonstration.”

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Minerals Commission clarifies that Kakum National Park is off-limits to mining
Citi NewsroombyCiti Newsroom November 13, 2023 Reading Time: 1 min read

The Minerals Commission has clarified that it has rejected an application by High Street Mining Company Limited to mine in the Kakum National Park in the Central Region.

The commission has also removed the application from the online mining cadaster.

In a statement signed by its Chief Executive Officer, Martin Kwaku Ayisi, the Minerals Commission emphasized that no mineral rights, whether for prospecting or mining, will be considered or granted within the confines of the Kakum National Park.

The statement comes in response to concerns raised by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the public about the potential impact of mining on the Kakum National Park, a renowned tourist site in Ghana and sub-Saharan Africa.

Vice Chairman of the Muslim Caucus of Parliament, Alhaji Yusif Sulemana, has cautioned his Chairman, Farouk Aliu Mahama, not to provoke the other members to dig into Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia's religious background.

This comes in the wake of a press release issued by Alhaji Aliu Mahama after Ningo-Prampram Member of Parliament (MP) Sam George described the Vice President as a “religious prostitute”.

“Such language is offensive, disrespectful, and unbecoming of productive discourse,” the Yendi MP had stated in an earlier press release, saying such “bigotry” undermines effort by the country to ensure religious tolerance.

“It is even more harmful and counterproductive for that to come from a Honourable Member of Parliament,” Alhaji Farouk Mahama had stated.

However, Alhaji Sulemana, who is also the MP for Bole Bamboi, says Alhaji Aliu Mahama cannot be said to be speaking for the Caucus.

“Farouk is aware that the Muslim Caucus of Ghana's Parliament, as an association, is governed by rules and decisions and their culminating press releases are taken at General or Emergency Meetings,” the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP stated in a release on Thursday, November 9.

“As Vice Chair, I and the majority of other members are not aware or have not attended any meeting at which the decision was taken to issue the above statement.”

He questioned the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP about his whereabouts when the Vice President mocked former President John Dramani Mahama “for simply referring to a Sura in the Quran”.

“Was that behaviour by Dr Bawumia appalling, reprehensible, terrible, offensive, discriminatory, and unfair?

“Such hypocrisy and unprincipled stance must not be injected into the activities of the Muslim Caucus.”

The Bole Bamboi MP insisted that a Christian, like Sam George, has the right to comment on issues related to Muslims.

“Farouk must advise his paymaster to rather focus on telling the Muslim Community what he has done for them since assuming the Vice Presidency about 7 years ago.

“Farouk must not provoke us to dig into his religious background.”

Akufo-Addo administration is ‘super incompetent' than the previous John Mahama administration, a professor at the University of Ghana Ransford Gyampo has said.

He indicated that for the first time in Ghana, people do not know whether to keep their money in the banks or in their bedrooms because of a lack of confidence in the banking system.

To him, the lack of confidence in the banking system demonstrates how badly the economy has been managed.

“The standards are high, we should subject our politicians to strict proof. This regime is super incompetent than the Mahama administration. Poeple do not know whether to keep their money in the banks or in their homes,” he said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, November 11 while commenting on the election of Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Prof Gyamp said that Dr Bawumia will have a daunting task convincing Ghanaians that things are better currently than when the government came into being.

“I am not saying breaking the 8 can't be done, but it is difficult. Dr Bawumai must also be touting his track record in a manner that sounds convincing to Ghanaians.”

Dr Bawumia in his address to the nation after his election invited the youth of Ghana to come on board and join him as he seeks to win the presidency to implement his vision for Ghana.

“I have my own vision and priority,” he said, adding that ” I will listen to your concerns because we are partners in its process.”

Regarding the sufferings of Ghanaians, he said “I am as concerned as my fellow countrymen and women…the work of economic recovery is underway, GDP growth has picked up.”

Dr Bawumia further thanked the NPP for the support he has enjoyed over the years leading to his victory as flagbearer of the party for the 2024 general elections.

NPP to hold parliamentary primaries for the orphan constituencies
The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has announced that it will hold Parliament primaries for Orphan Constituencies, constituencies where the party has no parliamentary representation, on Saturday, 2nd December, 2023.

The decision was taken by the Party at a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on Friday, November 10, 2023, General Secretary of the party Justin Kodua Frimpong in a statement.

“Vetting of aspiring Parliamentary Candidates in these Constituencies shall take place in the various regional capitals from Tuesday, 14th November 2023, to Thursday, 16th November 2023,” the statement added.