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…but NPP rubbishes claim
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) government has debunked claims by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that it had failed to fulfill most of its manifesto promises leading up to the 2016 election.
It said the Akufo-Addo-led government made 388 promises in its 2016 manifesto and not 631 as claimed by the NDC at its press conference earlier yesterday.
In a press conference held yesterday in Accra, the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said the claims by the NDC was false and that the opposition party had lifted words from the vision and strategy framework of the NPP manifesto and copied the words and phrases as articulated in them and created them as new promises in order to increase the promises.
He said “this is attempt to distort the base and claim that we have made a declaration that is dishonest. This attempt itself is the true definition of intellectual dishonesty.”
According to the Minister of Information, the NDC had added on to the 235 new promises to its initial promises of 388 thereby increasing it to 631.
Mr Nkrumah said the NDC had made two claims saying that the first one is the claim that whilst government in its report in February this year, outlined 388 promises and accounted for them, they (NDC) have discovered an extra 235 promises which the government has hidden or refused to account for.
“The second claim was that, the NPP has failed in delivering 86 per cent of this supposed 631 promises, “in other words, they claim we have only achieved 14 per cent of this supposed 631 promises,” he said.
The NDC had in an earlier press conference accused the government of “mind-boggling” intellectual dishonesty because it was not being candid with citizens in terms of delivering on its 2016 manifesto.
A presentation on the promises of the NPP which was led by Samual Okudzeto Ablakwa, the North Tongu MP, said the fulfilment of the NPP’s promises was woeful.
“You are given four good years of the destiny of the people and all you can do is 14 per cent. And even this we have been so generous. You scored an F.”
“You don’t even have the courage to apologise for it and try to see if you can make amends but you think you can lie your way through by understating the number of promises that you made,” he argued.
Source: Ghanaian Times
Troubled and anxious citizens in Damongo of the Savannah Region have expressed concerns about the number of young people, believed to be under the age of 18, involved in ‘shisha’ smoking in pubs and drinking spots within the township.
Eyewitnesses say the minors were seen patronising nightlife venues, where Shisha smoking happen in the open.
The situation has sparked renewed public concern over the enforcement of child protection laws and regulations governing the operations of entertainment centres in the municipality and country as a whole.
An eyewitness, who spoke to The Spectator on conditions of anonymity for security reasons, noted that the situation was becoming increasingly common.
“This is not a one-off incident. It is becoming very common, but residents like us cannot openly report or speak about it because our lives will be at risk,” he said.
Under Ghanaian law, minors were prohibited from patronising Shisha.
Public health experts have consistently warned that shisha use exposes users to harmful substances that can negatively affect brain development, respiratory health, and overall well-being, particularly among young people.
The residents believe the alleged incidents point to broader challenges relating to youth supervision, substance abuse, and weak enforcement of existing regulations and have called on municipal authorities, security agencies, and regulatory bodies to intensify monitoring of pubs and entertainment centres to ensure compliance with the law.
In an effort to address the menace, Mr Salisu Be-Awurbi, the Savannah Regional Minister, has led public education campaigns, engaged security agencies, and supported enforcement actions to address the rising use of illicit substances in the region.
Wura Kelly Seidu Boresah I, the Chief of Damongo, has also called on all stakeholders including parents, community leaders, institutions, and young people to actively support efforts to curb drug abuse, warning that the rising consumption of hard drugs poses a serious health threat to the future of the youth in the Savannah Region.
He also cautioned individuals involved in the sale and distribution of illicit drugs to immediately desist from the practice, stressing that offenders will face arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law.
From Geoffrey Buta, Damongo, Savannah Region
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Dr Theresa Baffour, an advocate for ending violence and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SAHM SAHW Foundation, has said that society plays a critical and pivotal role in breaking the cycle of domestic violence.
According to her, domestic violence is a major contributor of making women, who are mostly the victims, mentally derailed and unable to engage in economic activities.
She said this when the foundation called on the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, to solicit support for the initiative by the “Strong and Healthy Minds, Strong and Healthy Women” (SAHM SAHW) to combat domestic violence within the Ga State.
The visit was occasioned by the fact that domestic violence cases have become quite prevalent in the Ga communities and is retarding growth.
According to her, the canker was an impediment to national development because the victims were usually tortured and would have to go through series of therapies to return to the right state of mind.
Dr Baffour mentioned that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) places a mental toll on women, and was, therefore, important to break the cycle through comprehensive mental health support, crisis intervention and empowerment programmes in communities with high rates of GBV.
This intervention, she underscored, would help in empowering the denigrated victim of domestic violence to soundly heal, build and thrive.
Dr Baffour added that the initiative would provide holistic, trauma-informed mental health care and advocacy for young women affected by domestic violence.
According to her, the above statement would create safe spaces for healing and equipping them with entrepreneurial skills for renewed hope and empowered life.
The Ga Mantse pledged his support for the laudable initiative to combat domestic violence and also acknowledged the need to address it in the Ga State.
Further endorsement came from Justice Julia Naa-Yarley Adjei Amoah, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Ga Mantse, as she commended the team of SAHM SAHW Foundation for taking a bold step to end the canker in the Greater Accra.
She added that it was a step in the right direction to save vulnerable women from torture, stress and emotional abuse.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
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