President John Atta Mills has said the perceived factionalism in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) lacks any substance and that he is not aware of any such division.
He, therefore, advised those who were holding themselves up as belonging to the Atta Mills faction to desist from that since they were wasting their time.
“Those who hold themselves up as belonging to Atta Mills faction, if there is any, are wasting their time. Atta Mills is not a product by itself but an entity created by the NDC,” he stated.
The President, who was addressing the eighth national delegates congress of the NDC in Tamale last Saturday, however, reminded the people of the need to close their ranks and ensure that unity prevailed at various structures of the party at all times to position the party for future victories.
He asked them to count their blessings that the party won the 2008 elections and wondered where they would have found themselves if the NDC had failed to win the elections.
The President further acknowledged that even though they might have some reservations or be frustrated in the scheme of things, it was better for the party to be in power than found itself in opposition.
He, therefore, advised both leadership and supporters of the party to use the opportunity the congress had offered to forgive each other and chart a path of unity for the strengthening of the party.
“Let this congress be remembered as the event that brought total unity and renewal of a better NDC,” he stated.
President Mills described those wishing for the demise of the party as doomsday prophets and emphasised that, “we should not give the doomsday’s prophets their due; let us not allow the media to set the agenda for us”.
On the elections, the President entreated those who did not win not to be troubled because there was always another chance.
He asked them to take a cue from his personal experience concerning his attempts at the presidency and said, “the serial loser has become a winner and he will be a serial winner”.
The President also tasked the new national executive of the NDC to institute an enquiry into the allegation of vote buying and bribery at the recent election of the National Youth and Women’s Organiser at Sunyani and Winneba respectively.
The allegations were made by some of the disappointed candidates after the elections at Sunyani on January 9, 2010, in which an aide to the President, Mr Ludwig Hlodze, was elected as the new National Youth Organiser of the party, replacing Mr Iddrisu Haruna, who did not contest.
“I am concerned and disturbed about reports of alleged doling of monies to obtain votes; even as they relate to the Castle and I think it is important we all realise that what is right is right and what is wrong is wrong,” he stated.
Touching on governance, the President admitted his government’s inadequacies in some sectors but gave the assurance that the situation would improve to give meaning to his better Ghana mantra.
President Mills, however, asked the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to spare his government “the sanctimonious and self-serving effusions,” since they created the mess the nation was undergoing.
“The country that we took over was certainly not a country that had seen eight years of positive change; if there had been candour on the part of the NPP, people’s expectations will not have been high as they are today,” he stated.
The President, however, affirmed that he and his team were undaunted because the government was guided by their commitment to raise the standard of living of Ghanaians. “We are more united, focused and determined to build a better nation for our people.”
President Mills pledged his readiness to accept constructive criticisms from party members and Ghanaians and expressed appreciation for former President Rawlings for his suggestions and advice to the government.
The Vice-President, John Mahama, described the congress as historic, being the first mass gathering of the party since 2005 and the maiden assembly of such event in the northern sector of the country.
He acknowledged that the party had faced some challenges lately and urged members to reflect soberly on those happenings to chart a new progressive course.
Mr Mahama attributed the bickering to open criticisms and hostilities towards each other and the breakdown in the communication system.
He, however, reminded the people that “we have gone through difficult times during which people have died and others maimed. Therefore, our destiny is in our own hands”.
Former President Rawlings also called for party harmony and observed that the NDC might have overcome the NPP government’s malice and viciousness but that the government might also have to deal with the vindictiveness of some of its party members.
He advised the delegates to vote with their conscience by electing credible and hard-working people who could support the government to fulfil its electoral promises to the people.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
ARMED ROBBERS ESCAPE FROM JAIL (PAGE 47, JAN 16, 2010)
A notorious armed robber, Johnson Kombian, aka Garkum, 32, has escaped from the Tamale Prison where he was serving his jail term.
The escape occurred last Thursday night and brings to three the number of times he has succeeded in running away from lawful custody.
A police source who confirmed the story said all efforts were being made to apprehend the fugitive.
Authorities at the prison were tight-lipped when the Daily Graphic visited there last Friday to enquire about the circumstances of the convict’s latest break-out.
However, according to the police source, Kombian was arrested late August last year at his hideout in Bolgatanga and sentenced to 56 months’ imprisonment with hard labour by the Tamale Circuit Court for escaping from the Tamale Prison in January 2006.
He had earlier escaped from custody at Gambaga in 2005 after he had been arrested for committing various criminal offences.
“We were preparing other charges of murder and robbery against the convict when we received the unfortunate news of his escape from lawful custody on Thursday evening,” it added.
Kombian’s escape from the prison in 2006 led to the dismissal and the reduction in rank of a number of prison officers in Tamale who were on duty that day.
According to the police, the convict had been on the police wanted list since 2005 for his alleged involvement in eight robberies, including the murder of some military persons at Nakpanduri in the East Mamprusi District.
He was also alleged to be responsible for the robbery at the BESSFA Rural Bank at Garu; the robbery, kidnapping and attempted murder of one Mathias Jato at Nakpanduri on August 1, 2005, May 5 and June 20, 2009, respectively.
Records with the police also indicate that Kombian stole an AK 47 assault rifle from the Nakpanduri Police Station on April 26, 2005, among other offences.
The convict is noted to visit mayhem on his victims and causes fear and panic wherever he operates.
The escape occurred last Thursday night and brings to three the number of times he has succeeded in running away from lawful custody.
A police source who confirmed the story said all efforts were being made to apprehend the fugitive.
Authorities at the prison were tight-lipped when the Daily Graphic visited there last Friday to enquire about the circumstances of the convict’s latest break-out.
However, according to the police source, Kombian was arrested late August last year at his hideout in Bolgatanga and sentenced to 56 months’ imprisonment with hard labour by the Tamale Circuit Court for escaping from the Tamale Prison in January 2006.
He had earlier escaped from custody at Gambaga in 2005 after he had been arrested for committing various criminal offences.
“We were preparing other charges of murder and robbery against the convict when we received the unfortunate news of his escape from lawful custody on Thursday evening,” it added.
Kombian’s escape from the prison in 2006 led to the dismissal and the reduction in rank of a number of prison officers in Tamale who were on duty that day.
According to the police, the convict had been on the police wanted list since 2005 for his alleged involvement in eight robberies, including the murder of some military persons at Nakpanduri in the East Mamprusi District.
He was also alleged to be responsible for the robbery at the BESSFA Rural Bank at Garu; the robbery, kidnapping and attempted murder of one Mathias Jato at Nakpanduri on August 1, 2005, May 5 and June 20, 2009, respectively.
Records with the police also indicate that Kombian stole an AK 47 assault rifle from the Nakpanduri Police Station on April 26, 2005, among other offences.
The convict is noted to visit mayhem on his victims and causes fear and panic wherever he operates.
THOUSANDS ATTEND NDC CONGRESS IN TAMALE (PAGE 16, JAN 18, 2010)
THOUSANDS of sympathisers of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), including visitors across the length and breadth of the country and the world at large, thronged the Tamale metropolis at the weekend to witness one of the most peaceful and successful party national delegates congresses in recent times.
The excitement that characterised the congress were conspicuous and memorable. The streets and the entrance to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Hall, the venue for the congress, were filled with party enthusiasts who were draped in NDC colours. The Choggu Roundabout in particular, which links the WAEC Hall building, was awash with NDC colours and the portraits of the 64 candidates vying for various positions in the party.
Vehicles were not left out, as most of them were decorated with portraits of the candidates vying for nine positions in the party. Indeed, the vehicular traffic was heavy and vehicles spent several hours to meander their way through the Choggu Roundabout-Tamale Sports Stadium road that links the WAEC Hall building, as security personnel had erected a number of barriers along that small stretch of road.
The security personnel had a herculean task controlling the ecstatic crowd, both within and outside the WAEC premises, who were in a carnival mood, drumming and dancing and cheering their respective candidates on.
Dealers in NDC paraphernalia also had a field day while food vendors cashed in on hungry delegates. An Accra-based trader, Madam Afia Dadziwa, who interacted with the Daily Graphic, claimed sales were quite good although she could not readily disclose the amount of money she had bagged so far.
Unfortunately, as the excitement about the congress continued, three persons collapsed due to asthmatic attacks and the viagal crises (low heart beats) and were later rushed to the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH). Another person sustained a head injury as he hit his head against a chair, but had since been treated and discharged from the hospital.
A Specialist in the Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Unit at the TTH, Dr Thomas Anabah, intimated that cases identified by his team of health personnel on duty at the WAEC Hall included tiredness, indigestion, ulcer, stomach ache and headaches, stress and high blood pressure, among other illnesses.
He, therefore, advised people to take their health seriously and to ensure that they rigidly took drugs prescribed for them wherever they went in order to avoid such incidents.
“Many of the people here are hypertensive and some have chronic ulcers, while others too have been medically advised to avoid shouting on top of their voices,” Dr Anabah pointed out.
Residents, including visitors, expressed joy at the professional manner in which the security personnel handled the security situation, culminating in the successful hosting of the congress. The voting, counting and declaration of the results went on smoothly without any hitch.
The excitement that characterised the congress were conspicuous and memorable. The streets and the entrance to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Hall, the venue for the congress, were filled with party enthusiasts who were draped in NDC colours. The Choggu Roundabout in particular, which links the WAEC Hall building, was awash with NDC colours and the portraits of the 64 candidates vying for various positions in the party.
Vehicles were not left out, as most of them were decorated with portraits of the candidates vying for nine positions in the party. Indeed, the vehicular traffic was heavy and vehicles spent several hours to meander their way through the Choggu Roundabout-Tamale Sports Stadium road that links the WAEC Hall building, as security personnel had erected a number of barriers along that small stretch of road.
The security personnel had a herculean task controlling the ecstatic crowd, both within and outside the WAEC premises, who were in a carnival mood, drumming and dancing and cheering their respective candidates on.
Dealers in NDC paraphernalia also had a field day while food vendors cashed in on hungry delegates. An Accra-based trader, Madam Afia Dadziwa, who interacted with the Daily Graphic, claimed sales were quite good although she could not readily disclose the amount of money she had bagged so far.
Unfortunately, as the excitement about the congress continued, three persons collapsed due to asthmatic attacks and the viagal crises (low heart beats) and were later rushed to the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH). Another person sustained a head injury as he hit his head against a chair, but had since been treated and discharged from the hospital.
A Specialist in the Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Unit at the TTH, Dr Thomas Anabah, intimated that cases identified by his team of health personnel on duty at the WAEC Hall included tiredness, indigestion, ulcer, stomach ache and headaches, stress and high blood pressure, among other illnesses.
He, therefore, advised people to take their health seriously and to ensure that they rigidly took drugs prescribed for them wherever they went in order to avoid such incidents.
“Many of the people here are hypertensive and some have chronic ulcers, while others too have been medically advised to avoid shouting on top of their voices,” Dr Anabah pointed out.
Residents, including visitors, expressed joy at the professional manner in which the security personnel handled the security situation, culminating in the successful hosting of the congress. The voting, counting and declaration of the results went on smoothly without any hitch.
The 8th NDC Congress...ADJEI, NKETIAH RETAINED (LEAD STORY)
Story: Timothy Gobah & Zakaria Alhassan, Tamale
Delegates at the 8th National Delegates Congress of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) held in Tamale last Saturday endorsed amendments to the party’s constitution and voted overwhelmingly to retain Dr Kwabena Adjei and Mr Asiedu Nketiah as the Chairman and the General Secretary, respectively, of the party.
Also chalking victories to join the old executives were a former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, and Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, who took the positions of Vice Chairpersons, while Mr Richard Quashigah became the new Propaganda Secretary.
In the results which were declared by the Electoral Commission, amid jubilation and excitement, Dr Kwabena Adjei polled 1,749 votes, against 90 received by his only contender, Dr Asamoa-Tutu.
Seven ballots were rejected.
Mr Asiedu Nketia, aka General Mosquito, obtained 1,739 ballots to beat his only contestant, Kweku Eshun, who had 116 votes, with three rejected ballots.
Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings won the First Vice-Chairmanship position with 1,433, while Alhaji Huudu Yahaya received 1,247, with Kofi Porturphy getting 1,160, to occupy the Second and Third Vice-Chairman positions, respectively.
Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah had 972 votes, Alhaji Said Sinare received 731, while Mr Danny Annan obtained 679 to make up for the rest of the six vice-chairmanship slots.
The Spokesperson for former President Rawlings, Mr Kofi Adam, became the new Deputy General Secretary of the party when he obtained 1,094 votes to beat four other contenders.
For the position of Propaganda Secretary, Richard Quarshigah polled 1,270 votes to beat Bernard Allotey and Mustapha Kabila, who got 439 and 114, respectively.
The position of Treasurer went to Kamel Noshie, who had 1,501 votes to beat Yusif Adiss.
A new National Executive Committee was also sworn into office. The members are Alhaji Babalamin Abu-Sadat, Victoria Kumah Mintah, John Owusu Agyeman, Richard Lartey and Dr E.K. Hayford.
The congress also amended portions of the party’s constitution. The delegates voted in favour of some amendments, including the creation of a Party Leader position.
The position, voted for massively by the delegates, will have a sitting President of the country who is a member of the NDC as the occupant, with the chairman taking up the position when the party is out of government.
In case the sitting President is not elected the flag bearer of the party, any person elected flag bearer will occupy that position.
It also accepted to expand its constituency delegates to regional conferences from six to eight. Provision was also made for the creation of an office of director of electoral issues and a three-man special complaints committee to deal with complaints of and about party officers.
Consideration and voting on some other proposals, including the amendment of the propaganda secretary’s position in favour of communications secretary or political education officer, were, however, deferred because the issues were either too controversial or the time was not conducive.
Among those who observed the elections, which were supervised by the Electoral Commission, were former President J.J. Rawlings, who sat through for the entire period of the voting.
The President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, and the Vice President, John Mahama, were also present to witness the collation and declaration of results on Sunday afternoon.
Indeed, the eighth delegates congress virtually brought the seat of government to Tamale, the sprawling capital of the Northern Region. The participants included ministers of state, metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives and other government functionaries from all parts of the country.
Some members of the Diplomatic Corps, including delegates from Europe, North America and some African countries, also graced the three-day event which was on the theme, “Fulfilling the Better Ghana Agenda”.
Before the commencement of business on Saturday, solidarity messages were read by representatives of some political parties and the diplomatic community.
After the closing remarks by President Mills, delegates, sympathisers, as well as followers of various contestants, poured onto the streets of Tamale in wild jubilation, amid drumming, singing and dancing. They also sang praises to God for seeing them through a very successful and peaceful congress.
Delegates at the 8th National Delegates Congress of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) held in Tamale last Saturday endorsed amendments to the party’s constitution and voted overwhelmingly to retain Dr Kwabena Adjei and Mr Asiedu Nketiah as the Chairman and the General Secretary, respectively, of the party.
Also chalking victories to join the old executives were a former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, and Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, who took the positions of Vice Chairpersons, while Mr Richard Quashigah became the new Propaganda Secretary.
In the results which were declared by the Electoral Commission, amid jubilation and excitement, Dr Kwabena Adjei polled 1,749 votes, against 90 received by his only contender, Dr Asamoa-Tutu.
Seven ballots were rejected.
Mr Asiedu Nketia, aka General Mosquito, obtained 1,739 ballots to beat his only contestant, Kweku Eshun, who had 116 votes, with three rejected ballots.
Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings won the First Vice-Chairmanship position with 1,433, while Alhaji Huudu Yahaya received 1,247, with Kofi Porturphy getting 1,160, to occupy the Second and Third Vice-Chairman positions, respectively.
Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah had 972 votes, Alhaji Said Sinare received 731, while Mr Danny Annan obtained 679 to make up for the rest of the six vice-chairmanship slots.
The Spokesperson for former President Rawlings, Mr Kofi Adam, became the new Deputy General Secretary of the party when he obtained 1,094 votes to beat four other contenders.
For the position of Propaganda Secretary, Richard Quarshigah polled 1,270 votes to beat Bernard Allotey and Mustapha Kabila, who got 439 and 114, respectively.
The position of Treasurer went to Kamel Noshie, who had 1,501 votes to beat Yusif Adiss.
A new National Executive Committee was also sworn into office. The members are Alhaji Babalamin Abu-Sadat, Victoria Kumah Mintah, John Owusu Agyeman, Richard Lartey and Dr E.K. Hayford.
The congress also amended portions of the party’s constitution. The delegates voted in favour of some amendments, including the creation of a Party Leader position.
The position, voted for massively by the delegates, will have a sitting President of the country who is a member of the NDC as the occupant, with the chairman taking up the position when the party is out of government.
In case the sitting President is not elected the flag bearer of the party, any person elected flag bearer will occupy that position.
It also accepted to expand its constituency delegates to regional conferences from six to eight. Provision was also made for the creation of an office of director of electoral issues and a three-man special complaints committee to deal with complaints of and about party officers.
Consideration and voting on some other proposals, including the amendment of the propaganda secretary’s position in favour of communications secretary or political education officer, were, however, deferred because the issues were either too controversial or the time was not conducive.
Among those who observed the elections, which were supervised by the Electoral Commission, were former President J.J. Rawlings, who sat through for the entire period of the voting.
The President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, and the Vice President, John Mahama, were also present to witness the collation and declaration of results on Sunday afternoon.
Indeed, the eighth delegates congress virtually brought the seat of government to Tamale, the sprawling capital of the Northern Region. The participants included ministers of state, metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives and other government functionaries from all parts of the country.
Some members of the Diplomatic Corps, including delegates from Europe, North America and some African countries, also graced the three-day event which was on the theme, “Fulfilling the Better Ghana Agenda”.
Before the commencement of business on Saturday, solidarity messages were read by representatives of some political parties and the diplomatic community.
After the closing remarks by President Mills, delegates, sympathisers, as well as followers of various contestants, poured onto the streets of Tamale in wild jubilation, amid drumming, singing and dancing. They also sang praises to God for seeing them through a very successful and peaceful congress.
ENCOUNTER WITH A VETERAN JOURNALIST (PAGE 23, JAN 16, 2010)
HE looked unassuming yet humorous, insightful and sharp. Even though I had never met him, I was honoured by his invitation to me and my colleague for a dinner.
He graciously welcomed us into the humble abode of his wife with a broad grin, saying, “Zakaria, na wow! Oga, make you com in.” “Eeei! who taught this white man pidgin,” I mumbled to myself. I was later to know that our host had lived in Nigeria for several years.
Mr Gerd Meuer is a retired German journalist with astonishing stories to tell the world. For almost 50 years, the veteran journalist had journeyed across the globe and reported from the various continents: bringing people’s miseries, challenges and success stories to light through the powerful lenses of Television and the fountain of the pen.
When I asked him about the number of African countries he had covered, he simply said, “Never mind Zakaria, 48 of the 53 countries…...” What always caught my attention as we chatted was his amazing retentive memory. Even in his advanced age, his ability to remember the names of countries, towns, villages, cottages and hamlets he had visited with such abundant ease was marvellous.
For instance, when I told him I was from Ghana, he mentioned the names of places, people and their backgrounds as if he had lived in the country for several years.
He even went further to talk about Tamale, where I come from in Ghana, and told me about familiar places he had been to in the city.
Aside from his African experience, Mr Meuer had also worked in most parts of Europe, the US, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific.
Apart from his native German, Mr Meuer speaks and understands many languages, including Spanish, English, Dutch, French and what have you. The thick tall man is no stranger to Africa. Indeed, he had been a student at the Ibadan University in Nigeria in the 1960s.
He had also been a long associate of the celebrated African Writer and Nobel Prize Laureate in Literature, Professor Wole Soyinka. They are still close pals.
Among the organisations the veteran journalist had traversed were the German Pubic Radio and TV System (ARD), Swiss, Austrian and French Radio. He had also worked with the BBC, the Irish Radio and Radio Pacific in the US.
The veteran journalist had freelanced for several newspapers, weeklies and journals in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, among others.
Mr Meuer is also described as an excellent translator who has translated many literature works into several languages. He also moderated and facilitated workshops in many countries.
He was born in the Rhineland in Germany in 1941. He studied English and French Literature. He also studied Political Science and Sociology at the universities of Bonn, Berlin and Aachen in Germany, Caen in France and Ibadan in Nigeria.
On the state of the media in Africa, Mr Meuer expressed concern over the dwindling fortunes of journalism in some parts of the continent, saying “Some of the articles I read from the papers nowadays lack depth and are not analytical enough; most of the brilliant journalists who used to write for Nigerian newspapers, for instance, have all left; no, it is too bad.”
As we prepared to part company after a sumptuous dinner, I was honoured with a precious book that is autographed by Professor Soyinka and other prominent personalities. The title of the book is “Journeys around and with Kongi-half a century on the road with Wole Soyinka.” The book is written by Gerd Meuer.
He graciously welcomed us into the humble abode of his wife with a broad grin, saying, “Zakaria, na wow! Oga, make you com in.” “Eeei! who taught this white man pidgin,” I mumbled to myself. I was later to know that our host had lived in Nigeria for several years.
Mr Gerd Meuer is a retired German journalist with astonishing stories to tell the world. For almost 50 years, the veteran journalist had journeyed across the globe and reported from the various continents: bringing people’s miseries, challenges and success stories to light through the powerful lenses of Television and the fountain of the pen.
When I asked him about the number of African countries he had covered, he simply said, “Never mind Zakaria, 48 of the 53 countries…...” What always caught my attention as we chatted was his amazing retentive memory. Even in his advanced age, his ability to remember the names of countries, towns, villages, cottages and hamlets he had visited with such abundant ease was marvellous.
For instance, when I told him I was from Ghana, he mentioned the names of places, people and their backgrounds as if he had lived in the country for several years.
He even went further to talk about Tamale, where I come from in Ghana, and told me about familiar places he had been to in the city.
Aside from his African experience, Mr Meuer had also worked in most parts of Europe, the US, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific.
Apart from his native German, Mr Meuer speaks and understands many languages, including Spanish, English, Dutch, French and what have you. The thick tall man is no stranger to Africa. Indeed, he had been a student at the Ibadan University in Nigeria in the 1960s.
He had also been a long associate of the celebrated African Writer and Nobel Prize Laureate in Literature, Professor Wole Soyinka. They are still close pals.
Among the organisations the veteran journalist had traversed were the German Pubic Radio and TV System (ARD), Swiss, Austrian and French Radio. He had also worked with the BBC, the Irish Radio and Radio Pacific in the US.
The veteran journalist had freelanced for several newspapers, weeklies and journals in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, among others.
Mr Meuer is also described as an excellent translator who has translated many literature works into several languages. He also moderated and facilitated workshops in many countries.
He was born in the Rhineland in Germany in 1941. He studied English and French Literature. He also studied Political Science and Sociology at the universities of Bonn, Berlin and Aachen in Germany, Caen in France and Ibadan in Nigeria.
On the state of the media in Africa, Mr Meuer expressed concern over the dwindling fortunes of journalism in some parts of the continent, saying “Some of the articles I read from the papers nowadays lack depth and are not analytical enough; most of the brilliant journalists who used to write for Nigerian newspapers, for instance, have all left; no, it is too bad.”
As we prepared to part company after a sumptuous dinner, I was honoured with a precious book that is autographed by Professor Soyinka and other prominent personalities. The title of the book is “Journeys around and with Kongi-half a century on the road with Wole Soyinka.” The book is written by Gerd Meuer.
WHO IS WHO IN NDC? ...Congress decides today (LEAD STORY, JAN 16, 2010)
A keen contest for the Chairman and General Secretary positions of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) is anticipated at the party’s national delegates congress in Tamale today.
However, the incumbent Chairman and the General Secretary, Dr Kwabena Adjei and Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, respectively, are tipped to retain their positions as over 2,000 delegates go to the polls to elect new national executive officers to steer the affairs of the party for the next four years.
The delegates will decide the fate of 65 candidates vying for 30 national executive positions of the ruling party.
Dr Adjei and Mr Nketiah are seeking second terms in office, having been elected at the NDC national delegates congress in Koforidua in 2005, but they face strong challenge from Dr Austin Asamoa-Tutu and Mr Kweku Eshun.
Apart from their experience as former Members of Parliament and Ministers of State in the Rawlings administration and their achievement of leading the NDC from opposition to government, Dr Adjei and Mr Nketiah have formidable credentials that put them a shade ahead of their challengers.
That notwithstanding, Dr Asamoa-Tutu’s political experience as a founder member of the party and parliamentary candidate for the Social Democratic Front (SDF) in the 1979 election gives him strong grounding to upstage the incumbent chairman.
As the 2008 NDC parliamentary candidate for Okaikoi North, Mr Eshun has also acquired enough political clout to upset the incumbent general secretary at the polls.
Aside from those two portfolios, the contest for the six vice-chairman positions is also expected to be very keen, given the stature of some of the 17 candidates vying for the positions and the interest that their contention has generated in the media over the past few months.
The contest for the national organiser position will, however, be devoid of keen competition, since Mr Yaw Boateng Gyan is running unopposed.
Other positions to be contested for at the congress are deputy general secretary (two), deputy national organiser, national treasurer, deputy national treasurer, national propaganda secretary, deputy national propaganda secretary and national executive committee members (14).
President J. E. A. Mills, Vice-President John Dramani Mahama and former President J. J. Rawlings are among the dignitaries expected to grace the occasion.
The atmosphere in Tamale was charged yesterday as candidates intensified their campaigns to win the support of delegates to the congress.
The entire metropolis, particularly the vicinity of the congress grounds at the WAEC Hall on the GBC Road, was in a carnival mood as various structures were bedecked with posters and paraphernalia of the respective candidates and the party.
There was drumming and dancing as party stalwarts and supporters filed in and out of the venue. Wild jubilation heralded the appearance of most of the candidates at the conference grounds as they arrived in convoys with fanfare.
Mr Mahama and majority of Ministers of State, district chief executives and other party bigwigs are already in the metropolis.
The President, former President Rawlings, as well as some leading members of the party, are expected to arrive at the congress grounds today.
Large canopies have been erected opposite the entrance of the venue to provide shade for party supporters who will be unable to gain access to the congress hall, which is restricted to only accredited persons.
Some of the candidates resorted to the use of radio to reach out to many delegates. One of such vice-chairmanship hopefuls, Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, was on air yesterday morning explaining why he should be given the mandate.
The immediate past Youth Organiser of the NDC, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, also used the opportunity on another radio station to admonish all stakeholders, including residents of Tamale, to ensure a successful hosting of the congress.
He commended the people of the Northern Region for their unflinching support for the party over the years, adding that “this region delivered the highest parliamentary seats for the NDC in the entire country in the last general election”.
This is the first time the party is organising such an important event in the northern part of the country.
However, the incumbent Chairman and the General Secretary, Dr Kwabena Adjei and Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, respectively, are tipped to retain their positions as over 2,000 delegates go to the polls to elect new national executive officers to steer the affairs of the party for the next four years.
The delegates will decide the fate of 65 candidates vying for 30 national executive positions of the ruling party.
Dr Adjei and Mr Nketiah are seeking second terms in office, having been elected at the NDC national delegates congress in Koforidua in 2005, but they face strong challenge from Dr Austin Asamoa-Tutu and Mr Kweku Eshun.
Apart from their experience as former Members of Parliament and Ministers of State in the Rawlings administration and their achievement of leading the NDC from opposition to government, Dr Adjei and Mr Nketiah have formidable credentials that put them a shade ahead of their challengers.
That notwithstanding, Dr Asamoa-Tutu’s political experience as a founder member of the party and parliamentary candidate for the Social Democratic Front (SDF) in the 1979 election gives him strong grounding to upstage the incumbent chairman.
As the 2008 NDC parliamentary candidate for Okaikoi North, Mr Eshun has also acquired enough political clout to upset the incumbent general secretary at the polls.
Aside from those two portfolios, the contest for the six vice-chairman positions is also expected to be very keen, given the stature of some of the 17 candidates vying for the positions and the interest that their contention has generated in the media over the past few months.
The contest for the national organiser position will, however, be devoid of keen competition, since Mr Yaw Boateng Gyan is running unopposed.
Other positions to be contested for at the congress are deputy general secretary (two), deputy national organiser, national treasurer, deputy national treasurer, national propaganda secretary, deputy national propaganda secretary and national executive committee members (14).
President J. E. A. Mills, Vice-President John Dramani Mahama and former President J. J. Rawlings are among the dignitaries expected to grace the occasion.
The atmosphere in Tamale was charged yesterday as candidates intensified their campaigns to win the support of delegates to the congress.
The entire metropolis, particularly the vicinity of the congress grounds at the WAEC Hall on the GBC Road, was in a carnival mood as various structures were bedecked with posters and paraphernalia of the respective candidates and the party.
There was drumming and dancing as party stalwarts and supporters filed in and out of the venue. Wild jubilation heralded the appearance of most of the candidates at the conference grounds as they arrived in convoys with fanfare.
Mr Mahama and majority of Ministers of State, district chief executives and other party bigwigs are already in the metropolis.
The President, former President Rawlings, as well as some leading members of the party, are expected to arrive at the congress grounds today.
Large canopies have been erected opposite the entrance of the venue to provide shade for party supporters who will be unable to gain access to the congress hall, which is restricted to only accredited persons.
Some of the candidates resorted to the use of radio to reach out to many delegates. One of such vice-chairmanship hopefuls, Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, was on air yesterday morning explaining why he should be given the mandate.
The immediate past Youth Organiser of the NDC, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, also used the opportunity on another radio station to admonish all stakeholders, including residents of Tamale, to ensure a successful hosting of the congress.
He commended the people of the Northern Region for their unflinching support for the party over the years, adding that “this region delivered the highest parliamentary seats for the NDC in the entire country in the last general election”.
This is the first time the party is organising such an important event in the northern part of the country.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
RED CROSS SOCIETY SUPPORTS STUDENTS (PAGE 11, JAN 15, 2010)
THE Ghana Red Cross Society has presented medicated eye glasses to 37 students of the Tamale Girls High School who have been identified to have various sight defects, to aid them in their studies.
According to the acting Northern Regional Secretary of the society, Mr Solomon Gariyoni, the beneficiaries were identified after a screening exercise at the Eye Clinic of the Tamale Teaching Hospital.
He said the presentation formed part of the Action Against Childhood Blindness (AACHIB) initiative under the first vision programme of the society, which began in 2005.
The programme targeted children, particularly pupils and students. Apart from provision of spectacles, the beneficiaries underwent eye operations in order to correct various eye defects. It was being implemented in the Northern, Upper East and West regions.
The beneficiary districts in the Northern Region are Nanumba, Bole, West Gonja, the Yendi Municipality and the Tamale metropolis. The programme is being sponsored by the Swiss Red Cross, in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service and the Ghana Red Cross Society.
The secretary announced the formation of school youth link clubs, a health outreach initiative, and urged pupils and students to embrace such clubs in their respective schools when established, to equip themselves with first aid and health education tit-bits.
“You also need to take good care of your eyes as well as protect the spectacles offered you to justify the huge expenditure expended on its acquisition,” he admonished.
An Assistant Headmistress of the Tamale Girls High School, Madam Rubabatu Yakubu, expressed appreciation of the school to their benefactors for their support, which she indicated would help the beneficiaries in their respective studies.
According to the acting Northern Regional Secretary of the society, Mr Solomon Gariyoni, the beneficiaries were identified after a screening exercise at the Eye Clinic of the Tamale Teaching Hospital.
He said the presentation formed part of the Action Against Childhood Blindness (AACHIB) initiative under the first vision programme of the society, which began in 2005.
The programme targeted children, particularly pupils and students. Apart from provision of spectacles, the beneficiaries underwent eye operations in order to correct various eye defects. It was being implemented in the Northern, Upper East and West regions.
The beneficiary districts in the Northern Region are Nanumba, Bole, West Gonja, the Yendi Municipality and the Tamale metropolis. The programme is being sponsored by the Swiss Red Cross, in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service and the Ghana Red Cross Society.
The secretary announced the formation of school youth link clubs, a health outreach initiative, and urged pupils and students to embrace such clubs in their respective schools when established, to equip themselves with first aid and health education tit-bits.
“You also need to take good care of your eyes as well as protect the spectacles offered you to justify the huge expenditure expended on its acquisition,” he admonished.
An Assistant Headmistress of the Tamale Girls High School, Madam Rubabatu Yakubu, expressed appreciation of the school to their benefactors for their support, which she indicated would help the beneficiaries in their respective studies.
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