President Mahama to deliver New Year message at 8pm tonight

The president, John Dramani Mahama, will give his new year message to Ghanaians at 8 pm tonight.

The address will be live on Ghana Television (GTV), Uniiq FM and all Radio Ghana outlets across the country.

On Wednesday, December 31, 2014, President Mahama delivered his 2014 new year message and promised Ghanaians that he would listen to their views into programmes, policy and planning of government.

Tonight, Ghana will be looking ahead to what the president will have to tell them.

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By: ghanacrusader.com

President Mahama to deliver New Year message at 8pm tonight

Vote against Mahama, NDC in 2016-Kufuor

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has admonished Ghanaians to vote against the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration in the 2016 general elections.

 

According to him, the NDC government has been soiled with too many corruption scandals and has plunged the nation into economic turmoil which he said has retarded Ghana’s growth.

 

“Scandals and perceived corruption in governance and the society generally, socio-economic hardships such as unstable currency, unstable power supplies – undermining both industrial and domestic ventures – executive bureaucratic delays in the public sector, especially at the ports, many industrial actions, protest demonstrations throughout the economy, sudden and high tariff increases for utilities, and ever-bloating national debt stock, have hall-marked the out-going year,” he said.

 

In a statement issued ahead of the New Year, the former president said “the incoming year, 2016, must be a year of decision for the nation to arrest this dangerous slump of the society and economy. The people must decide for good, efficient and accountable governance at all levels of government.”

 

Mr. Kufuor said his wish for Ghana “is a reprieve from the many and seemingly endless challenges that have beset us through the just ending year,

 

Below is the full statement:

Office of H. E. John Agyekum Kufuor

Former President of the Republic of Ghana

Kufuor calls for peaceful elections

1. Fellow Ghanaians, It gives me great pleasure to greet you on this New Year’s eve.


2. My wish for our nation and all of us into the coming year, is a reprieve from the many and seemingly endless challenges that have beset us through the just ending year, 2015


3. Scandals and perceived corruption in governance and the society generally, socio-economic hardships such as unstable currency, unstable power supplies – undermining both industrial and domestic ventures – executive bureaucratic delays in the public sector, especially at the ports, many industrial actions, protest demonstrations throughout the economy, sudden and high tariff increases for utilities, and ever-bloating national debt stock, have hall-marked the out-going year.

 

4. The incoming year, 2016, must be a year of decision for the nation to arrest this dangerous slump of the society and economy.


5. The people must decide for good, efficient and accountable governance at all levels of government.


6. Civil Society Organizations, Traditional leaders Religious Groups must assume responsible guidance within their remits to ensure that the entire citizenry of the nation live up to the spirit and letter of the national constitution which enshrines inclusive democracy as the way of life for all of us.


7. 2016 is significant because it is the year of Election for both the Presidency and the Legislature.


8. The people must show through their conduct and choices that they understand the uses of the vote.


9. Sustained Transformation of society will not come through short-sighted and short-term inducements.


10. We must examine critically the track records and manifestoes of the contending parties before we make our choices in the election.


11. The Electoral Commission must be resolute in its independence and impartiality as enjoined by the national constitution, in its officiating of the Elections.


12. The security agencies of the nation must uphold the integrity and security of the national constitution and the state which are above all institutions, parties and individuals of the land.


13. We must all resolve to enter and live through this New Year with this determination so that the outcome of the Elections will ensure us with the government we can all accept and work with in good faith and in peace.


14. This is how to give our nation and its citizenry the sustained peace and direction to real development and dignity that we must have.

Happy and Prosperous New Year to all of us and May God bless us.

Signed:

Frank Agyekum

 

 

Vote against Mahama, NDC in 2016-Kufuor

Mahama Attends Inauguration Of New Burkinabe President

President John Dramani Mahama this morning lead a delegation to the inauguration of the President-elect of Burkina Faso, Roch Marc Christian Kabore.

 

 

A former Prime Minister of Burkina Faso, the 58-year old Christian Kabore was elected in November 2015 as part of transitional arrangements put in place by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government during the Chairmanship of President John Mahama.

 

 

Though originally planned for October, the elections had to be postponed to November because of a coup by the Presidential Guards. Another round of mediations by ECOWAS Leaders including President John Mahama saw the restoration to office of the Transitional President Michel Kafando and his Prime Minister.

 

 

 

Accompanying the President to Ouagadougou are Former President Jerry John Rawlings and his wife, General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia and officials of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the newly elected leader of the Peoples National Convention (PNC) Dr. Edward Mahama and officials of the PNC.

President Mahama will return home later today.

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Flagstaff House

 

Mahama Attends Inauguration Of New Burkinabe President

President Mahama Calls For Ceasefire In Bunkprugu

President John Dramani Mahama has renewed calls on feuding factions in the troubled Bunkprugu Traditional area in the Northern Region, to ceasefire.

 

According to him, the incessant revival of the age-long chieftaincy conflict between the Jamong and Jafog clans in the Bunkprugu traditional area, is affecting the agenda to transform the Northern Region.

 

President John Dramani Mahama was speaking on the occasion of the 2015 Damba festival celebrated on Mamprugu land on the theme, “Building the kingdom of Mamprugu together with peace and unity.”

 

President Mahama said government was committed to bridge the developmental disparities between Northern and Southern Ghana only in an atmosphere of peace.

 

He emphasized the need for peaceful co-existence in some identified conflict zones in the Northern Region.

 

He commended the Mamprugu kingdom for its unique succession to the chiefdom and urged them to zealously safeguard it.

President John Dramani Mahama promised to complete the Walewale-Gambaga road ahead of the 2016 general elections.

He also pledged government’s determination to expand the water system and educational infrastructure in Mamprugu land.

 

He condemned cultural adulteration and advised the youth to deepen their morality.

 

Overlord of Mamprugu Traditional Area who doubles as President of the Northern Regional House of chiefs thanked government for the numerous projects executed in the area.

The Nayiri Naa, Bahigu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga, appealed to government to provide safe water to the people of Mamprugu land.

He tasked chiefs and opinion leaders to strictly enforce traditional laws governing bushfires.

The Nayiri bemoaned the falling standard of education in Mamprugu land and announced the traditional Council’s resolve to organize an educational forum to address the problem.

He admonished government to allocate enough resources to the Electoral Commission to conduct free, fair and transparent elections in 2016.

“The year 2016 is just around the corner and soon 2015 will become history.

 

2016 is an election year and as such the stakes are high.

 

We all desire that the elections will come and go with our dear nation Ghana remaining intact and peaceful.

To this end, I urge you, your Excellency and your government to ensure that the Electoral Commission is adequately resourced to enable it conduct a credible free and fair election.”

 

The Nayiri Naa Bahigu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga impressed upon the two major political parties, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to deepen their tolerance before, during and after the 2016 general elections.

“To the political parties particularly the NDC and the NPP, I urge you to conduct your campaigns with the greatest respect for each other and play according to the rules.”

“They [NPP and NDC] must make it their collective responsibility to ensure that the peace in Ghana is maintained before, during and after the election in 2016,” the Nayiri underscored.

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Citifmonline.com

President Mahama Calls For Ceasefire In Bunkprugu

Mahama Accepts Attivor’s Resignation

President John Mahama has accepted the resignation of Mrs. Dzifa Aku Attivor as Minister for Transport, an official statement from the Flagstaff House said.

 

Her resignation follows concerns raised over a contract to spray and re-brand 116 new buses procured by government to improve transportation in the country’s major cities.

 

A statement signed by her special assistant Egypt Kudoto to announce her resignation said: “Hon. Mrs. Dzifa Attivor, Minister of Transport wishes to inform the good people of Ghana that, as the Minister with oversight responsibility for the activities of the Metro Mass Transit (MMT).

 

“She has tendered in her resignation as Minister due to the current issues surrounding the branding of the 116 buses.

 

“She further wants to take the opportunity to thank her party for the opportunity offered her to serve, first as a Deputy Minister of Transport under the late John Evans Atta Mills, and later as the Substantive Minister. Mrs. Attivor also wishes to thank the President sincerely for the honour to serve in his government. She has already communicated this decision to His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama through the Chief of Staff, Mr. Julius Debrah.”

 

Probe

The Chief of Staff Julius Debrah had earlier in a statement following the massive public outcry against the significant amount that was used for the rebranding, ordered the AG to probe the matter and furnish his office with her findings.

 

The AG submitted her report on Tuesday. It is unclear what is contained in the AG report.

 

Smarttys Productions, the company which won the contract to rebrand the buses is yet to officially comment on the matter but industry experts say the amount charged by the company, owned by a known activist of the ruling party, is outrageous.

 

Smarttys is owned by actress Selassie Ibrahim.

 

A pro-forma invoice dated 17th July 2015, and signed by the Accounts Officer of Smarttys Management and Productions and copied to the Ministry of Transport, put the total cost of branding for each bus at Ghc30,420.00.

 

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Ghana/StarrFMonline.com/103.5FM

Mahama Accepts Attivor’s Resignation

Banning 1st class travels laudable; enforce it – GII to Mahama

The Ghana integrity Initiative (GII) has commended President John Mahama’s directive to ministers to desist from embarking on first class travels whiles on official duties.

All government ministers who embark on official foreign travels on first class tickets have been directed by the presidency to stop with immediate effect.

Government has also directed all its ministers to cut down on foreign travels in a bid to curtail government spending.

The directive was issued in a letter from the office of the President and signed by the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah on November 16.

In an interview with Citi News, Programmes Manager at GII, Mary Addah, said although commendable, the presidency must ensure strict compliance of the directive.

Mrs. Addah commended the president’s initiative but felt it had come late saying, “It is a step in the direction even though it came late.”

She further stated that her organisation will monitor to see how the directive is implemented.

“We wait to see that it’s actually being implemented because we have had other promises in the past which have not been implemented or dealt with.” Our problem in this country is that, we make a lot of promises without following up on them… We will be watching out to see if the ministers are travelling economy class,” Mrs Addah added.

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Citifmonline.com

Banning 1st class travels laudable; enforce it – GII to Mahama