News
Ablekuma North Returning Officer discontinues collation
The Returning Officer (RO) for the Ablekuma North Constituency, Vincent Obeng, has shockingly announced his decision to discontinue the collation of disputed results in the area.
The RO surprisingly informed the Electoral Commission (EC) to find a replacement, citing frustrations encountered during the collation process on January 8, 2025.
Obeng revealed that, out of seven polling stations, results from four had already been collated, leaving just three remaining.
Hanson Agyemang, Obeng explained to the media that, “I hope you have all seen what is going on. Yesterday January 7, we were left with 7 polling stations to go. We came today [January 8], and we have been able to do four out of the seven.”
Additionally he noted that“So we’re left with three more. We brought our presiding officers here, two came and they couldn’t authenticate the statement of the poll and the declaration form. One said she couldn’t come, so that is the three now.”
“It’s so unfortunate for me to make this statement that I’m done with Ablekuma North. They should find a new Returning Officer to continue their work for them,”he disclosed.
Responding to this, the Director of Training, EC, Dr Serebour Quaicoe expressed regret over the comment by the Returning Officer.
Chaos erupted at the Greater Accra Regional Office during the resumption of the collation of results for Ablekuma North by the Electoral Commission (EC), sparking heightened tensions.
The incident stemmed from accusations by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) that the EC was collaborating with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to manipulate election results in the constituency.
The NDC’s Constituency Organiser, Musa Kalamu, alleged that the EC was aiding the NPP in doctoring figures from pink sheets of outstanding polling stations.
The situation occurred after the EC resumed the collation of the results after it temporarily suspended the collation process for the Ablekuma North constituency due to unresolved issues with results from seven outstanding polling stations, on January 6.
This decision comes as the EC sought to verify and authenticate the results from these polling stations before proceeding with the final collation.
Out of the 20 outstanding polling stations before the collation exercise on Monday, January 6, presiding officers have successfully authenticated 13 of the pink sheets submitted by the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
President John Dramani Mahama has visited the Akosombo Dam to assess the impact of a fire incident at a substation operated by the Ghana Grid Company.
The fire is reported to have caused the loss of more than 1,000 megawatts from the national power grid, affecting electricity supply in parts of the country.
During the visit, he inspected ongoing restoration works and received briefings from engineers on efforts to restore power. He commended them for what he described as a swift and professional response to the situation.
According to him, the government remains committed to restoring stable electricity supply as quickly as possible.
He added that steps are also being taken to strengthen the resilience of Ghana’s energy infrastructure to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The Ghana Grid Company has not yet provided a detailed timeline for full restoration, but work is ongoing to bring affected systems back on stream.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana’s Finance Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson, says he and his deputy have publicly filed their annual tax returns to demonstrate leadership and encourage compliance among citizens.
In a facebook post, he explained that the move was meant to show that public officials must lead by example when it comes to fulfilling civic duties.
“Leadership must be demonstrated, not declared,” he said.
He commended Ghanaian taxpayers for their continued contribution to national development, noting that tax compliance plays a key role in sustaining government activities.
According to him, paying taxes is both a legal and moral responsibility. He stressed that all citizens, including public officials, professionals, and businesses, are equal before the law and must meet their tax obligations.
He added that tax revenue is essential for funding key sectors such as education, healthcare, infrastructure, and security.
The minister praised the Ghana Revenue Authority for its work, especially during the ongoing Tax and Good Governance Month in April. He said the initiative helps to educate the public and promote voluntary compliance.
He urged the authority to intensify public education and continue reforms aimed at simplifying tax processes, reducing compliance costs, and improving transparency.
He further encouraged individuals and businesses that are yet to file their returns to do so promptly, adding that support systems and digital platforms are available to assist them.
He said building a strong tax culture would strengthen the country’s economy, improve accountability, and promote fairness in society.
By: Jacob Aggrey
