News
‘Make the best out of pension’
Members of the Abokobi Local Branch of the National Pensioners Association have been urged not to use their retirement period to withdraw from active life.
According to the chairman of the association, Mr Francis Goka, “Retirement only signal a time for re-direction of life into new endeavours that keep members active as they exploit other avenues to continue to always remain active everywhere they find themselves.”
He made these remarks at the 10th anniversary celebrations of the association at the Presbyterian Women’s Centre at Abokobi in the Ga East Municipality of the Greater Accra Region last Sunday.
The event was on the theme: ‘Ageing: Ensuring our wellness, our visa to longevity in retirement.’
The celebrations, which attracted dignitaries including officials of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and other sister associations, was used to honour the founder, Mr Emmanuel Adjei Duah, and the first Secretary, Madam Cynthia Naa Oyoo Quartey, with citations that extolled their virtues, zeal and determination that brought start the association with only two members but now with over 100 members.
The members also used the occasion to entertain themselves as they danced to some good old tunes.
The chairman stated that, “without activity in retirement, we are only inviting quiet and accelerated fading into sickness, sorrow and loneliness and sooner than later, into the hands of death, adding we need to be active even in retirement.”
He commended the founder and other past executives whose efforts have brought the association this far and the planning committee for making the day a reality.
The Adentan Branch Manager of SSNIT, Mr Harry Ntibrey, urged the members to endeavour and to re-register with their date of birth by April 26,in order to be counted among the active members.
The Adentan District Secretary, Mr Sam K. Duho, pledged to support the members to address the teething problems confronting them while on retirement.
By Lawrence Vomafa – Akpalu
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
Member of Parliament for Kpandai constituency, Matthew Nyindam, has argued that he would have defeated the National Democratic Congress candidate if a rerun election had been held, insisting that his loss was a battle against the power of the state rather than a fair contest.
Nyindam explained that his legal challenge to the 2024 parliamentary election was based on irregularities in four polling stations.
He noted that his team expected the court to address those specific concerns, not to order a fresh election across the entire constituency.
According to him, the decision to rerun the election confirmed what he described as a long standing pattern of unfair conduct by the NDC in Kpandai.
He added that he anticipated the chance to appeal the ruling but was surprised when Parliament later declared his seat vacant.
Nyindam stressed that the declaration of the seat left him feeling unfairly treated.
He maintained that he won the election clearly and believed the process that followed was aimed at removing him from Parliament prematurely.
He further stated that the situation turned into a contest between himself and the state.
He explained that running against the full weight of government made the election difficult, as ministers, MPs, chief executives and other officials were actively involved in campaigning, with resources flowing into the constituency.
Despite these challenges, Nyindam expressed confidence in his political strength, stating that under normal circumstances he would have beaten his opponent comfortably.
He added that he ultimately left the outcome in the hands of God, believing that destiny would determine whether he returned to Parliament.
Nyindam concluded that although the experience was painful, he believes it will serve a greater purpose in his political journey.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, known as Chairman Wontumi, has admitted that the party did not achieve its desired results in the Ashanti Region during the 2024 general election but maintained that the region remained the party’s strongest support base.
Addressing the media after a post election review, Wontumi said the party quickly set up a regional committee to investigate the reasons for the loss and to propose solutions.
He explained that a subcommittee was tasked to study what went wrong and recommend ways to improve future performance.
According to him, the committee’s report highlighted both the party’s mistakes and areas that need improvement.
He noted that the party has taken lessons from the findings and is ready to make changes.
Wontumi stressed that he learns quickly and is committed to applying the recommendations.
He emphasized that despite not meeting expectations, votes from the Ashanti Region significantly contributed to the party’s overall national performance.
He explained that the region pushed the party to the final figures it recorded in the 2024 election and still produced more votes than any other region.
Wontumi added that a post mortem of the results would show that the Ashanti Region performed better than others, even though the party fell short of its target.
He described the region’s effort as commendable.
He said the party now understands what voters in the Ashanti Region expect and assured them that the NPP will engage them better and work to meet their needs in future elections.
By: Jacob Aggrey
