Dominic Ayine challenges Amidu's nomination in Supreme Court

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Lawyer Tony Lithur files suit in the Supreme Court on the instruction of Dr. Dominic Ayine (plaintiff) against the nomination of Mr. Martin Amidu as Special Prosecutor.

Detail soon.

Assessment: Kyeremanten, Kan Dapaah, 2 others in 1 hour, one-on-one with Akufo-Addo

At least four ministers are expected to meet the president today for an hour each of rigorous assessment and evaluation at the Flagstaff House.

National Security Minister, Albert Kan Dapaah; Trades Minister, Alan Kyeremanten; Minister for Regional Reorganisation and Development, Dan Botwe and Foreign Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway are expected to answer for one year of their stewardship as ministers of state.

Given the president’s itinerary for today, Joy FM’s presidential correspondent Elton John Brobbey suspects the one-on-one encounter with the president by the four ministers will begin at 5:00pm.

 

 National Security Minister, Kan Dapaah is expected to begin the one-hour session with the president.

He has a lot to answer for over the last 12 months of the tenure of the New Patriotic Party administration.
From vigilante attacks by followers of the party to deadly armed robberies which have claimed the lives of some police personnel, the state of security over the last 12 months will be a major concern to the president and the minister.

Kan Dapaah will have to explain how some of those incidents happened, what he has done to avert future occurrences and why he has to keep his job as Security Minister.
At 6:00pm Trades Minister, Alan Kyeremanten is expected to take his turn with the president. He has his job clear cut. The one district, one factory project remains one of the most audacious campaign promises of the NPP and they have no reason to renege on that.

After 12 months, Mr Kyeremanten who heads the Ministry should by now have drawn a solid roadmap for the execution of that promise and many others including the industrial parks across the country to provide jobs for the unemployed youth.

He meets the president later today to account for his stewardship over the last 12 months.
At 7:00pm Dan Botwe will take his turn. His call was to make sure governance is brought closer to the doorstep of the people and ensure devolution of power from the Central government. He was also tasked to lead the creation of new regions which was also a major campaign promise in 2016.

 Dan Botwe

He will have a one-hour chat with the president to lay bare his success stories of failures as well as challenges over the period.

Foreign Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey will be the last for today. Usually a quiet ministry with lots of diplomacy, the last 12 months have been rather loud with issues of what to do with the ‘honeymoon’ expiration of the GITMO 2 fugitives in Ghana. There has also been the issue of the inhumane treatment meted out to some African and Ghanaian migrants in Libya which the Minister had to deal with and all its controversies.

Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey

Meanwhile, the immediate past vice president, Kwesi Bekoe Amissah- Arthur says this is not the first time ministers will be appraised by a president, even though he admitted the format may be quite different.

He told Joy News’ Emefa Apawu, his boss, ex-president John Mahama would have a conversation with his advisors on a performance of one minister or another and take a decision on them.
When he was asked to give his assessment of the ministers, Amissah Arthur said “there are so many of them. I have no way of assessing them.”

Credit: myjoyonline.com

Road Transport Operators deny increase in lorry fares.

3 Chinese nationals arrested for illegal mining

The Volunteers Against Environmental Degradation (VEAD) have arrested three Chinese nationals for the involvement in illegal mining activities the Diaso forest in the central region.

Despite government to halt activities of illegal mining several individuals have turn death ears to the campaign as many have been arrested and prosecuted in the process.

However, President for Volunteers Against Environmental Degradation, Mr. Richard Addo says the group is formed to assist government in the successful enforcement of the ban. 

   

15 percent of Ghanaians suffer from epilepsy

*15% OF Ghanaians suffer from epilepsy*

CEO of the Mental Health Authority Ghana (MHAG) Dr Akwasi Osei says 15 per cent of GhanaIan's have epilepsy.

This means 1 in 10 people in Ghana suffer from epilepsy with a global yearly record of 1,800 get people being diagnosed with.

In Ghana it is a Third major mental health  disorders. Epilepsy is a Neurologic disorder  that causes suffers to cease .

Speaking at a community durbar held at Danfa to mark this year's Epilepsy Day on the theme " life is beautiful ; despite the diagnosis of epilepsy "; Dr Akwasi Osei  asked parents and family members to seek early treatment for their family members who suffer from epilepsy.

Dr. Akwasi Osei listed some of the things that can lead to epilepsy to be Some kinds of cassava with chemicals in them, Self medication, Labor problems, 20% of children who have concluvision turn to have epilepsy later in life, road accident exessive alcohol intake, river blindness.

He asked teachers to take note as a lot of School children turn to suffer from a from of epilepsy.

The outgoing Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Martey has dismissed suggestions that the church supports a political party.

According to him, the church does not and will never support any political party.

Speaking to Joy News’ Maxwell Agbagba, the Moderator indicated that, “the presbyterian church of Ghana does not belong to any party and does not support any party.”

Rev. Martey’s comment is in reaction to criticisms that he has come under after he declared the church’s support for the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

This was after the presidential candidate sought the support of the church during its 16th General Assembly.

In a response to the request, the Moderator said “we are taking this seriously. For us, as a church, the Presbyterian Church is the oldest, existing church in this country. We will not sit down for newer churches and political parties to come and mess up our country."

“We will keep on praying for you, and for calling the Presbyterian Church into partnership, we will partner you to build Ghana… Nana, I wish you well. Your seriousness and experience. You have said you’re a Christian, so stay in your faith and you will be an overcomer,”  he told Nana Addo during the event.

This response has not gone down well with many who believe the Moderator is doing the bidding of the opposition party.
Some have even accused him of being a member of the NPP, but Rev. Martey denies this.

“We have seen governments over governments and the Presbyterian church at the moment is partnering the NDC government in the governance of our nation," he said.
“We have partnered all governments in the Fourth Republic. The church will partner every government that comes. So if the leadership of an opposition party comes and asks for our partnership we will support them,” he continued.

The Moderator stressed that there is no way he will sell his conscience to any political party, and the church is only playing its role as mandated.

For him, anyone who believes that he is supporting or is a member of any political party is “mentally retarded”, because “this is not done anywhere.”

The unauthorized trade of wayside fuel dealers in the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi, is posing a threat to life and property.

Under the National Petroleum authority Act, Act 691 of 2005, it is illegal to sell petroleum products without a license, but wayside fuel dealers in the Region are enjoying a high patronage from both commercial and private motorists.

Section 32 (1) states,’’ A person, other than a person licensed under this Act, shall not (a) sell or offer for sale a petroleum product, or (b) be in possession of a petroleum product in quantities unreasonably in excess of that person's immediate requirement, or (c) receive a petroleum product for sale’’.

The provision does not apply to petty trading in kerosene.
This law is, however, being breached with impunity in Kumasi and other parts of the Ashanti Region.
In 2014 the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) embarked on a three-day exercise to clamp down on the illegal sale of petroleum products.

That effort appears to have made little or no impact as sales points spring up again amidst complaints from residents that their lives are being endangered.

They say these stations do not adhere to safety measures and they are having a field day and no one is checking them.
One of the dealers at Ahinsan who spoke to Luv News acknowledges the practice is dangerous but says he doesn’t know it is illegal.

Regarding the question of where they get their supplies from, the illegal dealers have been tight-lipped about it and are reluctant to disclose who brings them fuel.

When Luv News contacted the Kumasi offices of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), they said they are unaware of the existence of these unauthorized fuel stations.