News
Ayaria files motion for parliament to reject CI empowering EC to refuse Voter ID for new registration
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, has filed a motion in Parliament inviting it to reject the Constitutional Instrument (CI) that would empower the Electoral Commission (EC) to reject the existing voter identification card in the impending voter registration exercise.
The new CI, if passed, would see potential voters use their passport and Ghana Card as the base document to get onto the new register.
Persons who don’t have the above listed documents would have to rely on guarantors to be able to get onto the voter roll.
The notice of motion filed by Mr Ayariga, on behalf of the Minority caucus, is seeking the House to disapprove of the Public Elections (Amendment) Regulations 2020 CI 126.
Per Parliamentary practice, Speaker Aaron Mike Oquaye would be expected to settle on a date on which the Bawku Central MP would be given the opportunity to move the motion on the floor and back same with reasons.
MPs would then be invited to debate the motion after which a vote would be taken.
It’s unclear when the Speaker would give Mr Ayariga the opportunity to move the motion on the floor of the House.
To be successful in their bid, the Minority which has a numerical strength of 106 of the 275-member House would have to woo their colleagues in the Majority to join them in that pursuit as a simple majority is required for the motion to pass.
The CI which needs 21 sitting days to mature as at yesterday was 10 days old.
The Subsidiary Legislation Committee, of which Mr Ayariga is a member, is yet to submit its report on the CI to the plenary.
The notice of motion was submitted to Speaker Oquaye’s office on Tuesday, May 19, the Ghanaian Times has learnt.
The EC and the opposition National Democratic Congress have been at loggerheads over the need for a new voters roll.
Whiles the NDC contends that the timing for compiling a new register with barely six months to the crucial December 2020 presidential and parliamentary polls is wrong; the EC maintains that only a new register would guarantee a free, fair and transparent election.
Eighteen other civil society organisations and some ‘smaller’ political parties have also kicked against the new voters roll.
The EC which had earlier settled on April 18, 2020 to commence the exercise had to postpone it indefinitely as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
Ahyiresu and Abofrem, two quiet communities in the Atwima Mponua District, have been shaken to the core by a chilling midnight drama that reads like a nightmare.
A pastor and a young mother stand accused of attempting to bury a five‑month‑old baby girl alive, a crime that has ignited outrage and disbelief across the township.
According to police, Apostle Richmond Akwasi Frimpong, 36, Head Pastor of the Anointed Grace Prayer Ministry at Kuffour Camp, conspired with his uncle Emmanuel Appiah, 53, and the child’s mother, 23‑year‑old Beatrice Agyapomaa, to dispose of the infant, Anaya Achiaa, under the cover of darkness.
A fourth suspect, Emmanuel Donkor, remains on the run.
The suspects were caught near a refuse dump around 10 pm on April 9, 2026, after a vigilant resident, Akwasi Twezor, noticed their suspicious movements.
When confronted, they claimed the child was already dead and had palace approval for burial. But Twezor’s instincts proved right—the baby was still alive, gasping faintly for breath.
Chief Linguist, Nana Yaw Badu, later confirmed that Frimpong had misled him earlier in the evening, securing permission for burial by falsely declaring the child dead.
The infant was rushed to the Abofrem Clinic, where she is now responding well to treatment. Police described her as “very beautiful.”
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Evelyn Yitamkey, Commander of DOVVSU in Bibiani, confirmed that the suspects have been provisionally charged.
Frimpong faces attempted murder and conspiracy charges, while Agyapomaa and Appiah are charged with conspiracy and abetment.
They were remanded by the Bibiani Circuit Court, presided over by Judge Frank Asiedu Nimako, to assist investigations.
The docket has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Department for advice, ASP Yitamkey indicated.
The attempted crime has provoked fury among residents, many suspecting ritual motives aimed at bolstering the pastor’s influence.
Crowds attempted to attack the suspects outside court, but police intervention prevented mob justice.
The Assembly Member for Ahyiresu, Yusuf Suleiman, has assured residents that justice will be pursued swiftly.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
The forecourt of the African University of Communications and Business (AUCB) in Accra came alive on Friday with colour, creativity and innovation, as Level 300 students transformed the space into a lively exhibition of ideas.
Under the theme “Building meaningful brands beyond the logo,” the students invited patrons into a world where ordinary products were reimagined through storytelling, design and purpose.
From scented candles to innovative food concepts, each stand told a unique story, one that went beyond aesthetics to capture identity, value and human connection.
For many of the students, the event was more than just an academic exercise; it was a moment to dream out loud.
Guided by their lecturer, Peter Wonders, they explored what it truly means to build a brand in today’s competitive world where trust, consistency and experience matter just as much as logos and slogans.
Chairman of the occasion, Nana Kum Gyata VI, in his remarks said a brand is what people say about you when you are not present.
At the end of the presentations, awards were presented to deserving groups with Vida Nyaneba emerging as the overall best branding student.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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